Sabrina's Journal
by ProfOrchid
Summary: Set a decade after her meeting with Ash, Sabrina is still trying to find her place as a psychic in a human world. Strong lemon warning is needed for chapter 1, other chapters are still lemons. Mewtwo and Zoey are regular guests.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Lemon Warning: This story has lemons. If you're under 18, go away.

This is a revision of my first chapter. I made changes so that this story is more consistent with the following chapters.

Sabrina's Journal

Mr. Peaks

_This journal entry is about having too much fun. This journal is written for my eyes so as to keep me sane, or at least prevent me from being like I was. The danger of being a very strong psychic is that it's easy to send your mind too far and have trouble bringing it back. So if I am reading this journal, then this is a sample of what you were._

_Here I am, Mistress of two empires. The first, and public, empire is that of Sabrina the psychic and Saffron City Gym leader. I have students, I award badges and I got bored. So I built a secret empire. Using patents developed at the gym, I have financed the takeover of Kanto's sex industry. Unlike my rivals in this business, I didn't do it for the money or as a front for illegal activities. I took over the sex industry for the sex itself. At the time that I'm writing this journal entry, my body has reached a level of sexual need that is hard to satisfy, but I found a way. That way was to house as much sexual activity in one building: Saffron Tower._

So Saffron Tower is the sixty-nine story castle of my secret sex empire. But on occasion a barbarian gets past the gates. This was such an evening. In my home office, the computer showed a discrepancy in the power to the shielding on floor 23. The computer then isolated a section of floor between floors 23 and 24. On floor 23 was a small dungeon room, fitted with a single bed, and the appropriate toys and equipment for the masochist. Floor 24 was one of several terrarium levels, and this floor's theme was light jungle. The air was warmer and more humid than other levels, and there was generous vegetation and running water. (Did the Pokemon gym contractors imagine that it would be used for this?) Security sensors confirmed the occupancy for the jungle room as two people. Motion and heat sensors showed the people embraced; business as usual.

Occupancy records showed the dungeon room was rented to one human; unusual for a dungeon, unless you want to whip yourself. Sensors showed that the room also contained two Pokemon: A Luxray and a Slowking. I concluded that I had a peeper. Motion and heat sensors showed him on the bed, while the Pokemon are motionless.

Well if someone wanted to compromise the psychic shielding, then they shouldn't mind a psychic visitor. So I reset the shielding controls to allow my mind to enter…his…,yes definitely 'his', mind. He was a little younger than me. All of his attention was focused on a blue haired girl named Dawn. So prominent in his mind was her name that it was hard to find his… Conway. His Slowking was forming a crude psychic network that included Luxray's vision and the senses of Dawn's lover. Conway was clearly obsessed with Dawn.

The boy needed to be taught a lesson. I went to my closet and took out the security officer costume. The costume had the same color scheme and style that conveyed the idea of an officer Jenny just sexier with the hem line a little higher and the neck line a little lower. I pulled off my sweats and got suited up.

I focused my mind on Luxray; Dawn's lover was another woman with orange hair, cute. But this definitely put Dawn out of reach of Conway. Poor lonely Conway; what a taste treat you would be.

I swore out loud, "Damn!" as I stumbled trying to put on those stupid high heeled boots. I've got to find a better pair of high heeled thigh high boots. At that point I had lost my focus.

The purpose of the psychic shielding that we invented was to prevent what I was going to do next: Poke around in Dawn's mind. I know that be doing so I could be compared to Conway. But it never happened that. Conway would never be judged as harshly as I would be judged, since he's 'normal' and I'm psychic. Also the anti-stalker laws are jokes, in my opinion.

So I entered Dawn's mind. Where Conway's mind was a vast collage of Dawn's image, Dawn's mind was a mess. There was definitely some alcohol clouding her thoughts of Zoey, her lover, but she tried to replace, or rather compare, her image of Zoey with AshKennyMistyWeddingMomPaulcontests… Dawn needed professional help, and not the kind one would find in a love hotel.

_(In retrospect, this is why I needed to write a journal: so I remember who I am after walking through the asylums of other people's mind.) _

Carefully I refocused my mind on Dawn:

Dawn loved Zoey.

Dawn liked Kenny.

Dawn worried about the lesbian title.

Dawn attended Ash and Misty's wedding.

I thought I saw her at the wedding last month. Good for Ash. I was so glad for those two since they helped me find myself so many years ago.

There was a prominent reoccurring dream in Dawn's mind: She would be dressed in white and in a marriage ceremony held in a Pokemon Contest. The panel of Judges was dominated by a massive image of a woman I assumed to be her mother. Weddings with Ash, Kenny or Paul scored well and received audience approval. When Zoey was in place of the groom she scores so poorly they strip her of her ribbons.

No wonder she drank. But that won't make it better.

I called for my house Pokemon: Gardevoir, Gengar and Espeon.

_Before I continue I just want to remind you what role these Pokemon play. Espeon is my protector. She is faster than any Pokemon I've met and rarely needs to attack twice to bring down an adversary._

_Gardevoir, she is my Yin. She embodies femininity, grace, beauty and sensuality. In contrast, Gengar is my Yang: Masculinity, aggression, lust, humor and action. There was a time when both of these aspects of my personality were underdeveloped and at war with each other. I hope that hasn't happened again by the time I'm reading this. _

I mentally instructed them of my plan, "Our plan of attack will be: Gardevoir will teleport us here, near the door. After that, use Imprison to prevent a Psychic counter attack or escape by teleportation. Espeon will use Roar and send Conway's Pokemon back into their balls. Gengar will stay in the shadows until Conway makes a move for something then use Thief to steal it, remember also to use Thief on any Pokeballs." Next I needed the right timing. Reservation computer showed both rooms booked for the whole night; someone had money to spend.

Dawn internal conflict ebbed as Zoey's tongue worked its magic. This was good for Dawn, but bad for Conway.

"What's all this then?" I shouted as my Pokemon and I teleported into the room. Conway flew off the bed and pulled the sheets behind him. Slowking, despite the name, was the first to react as he used Protect. But Luxray was out of range of the protection, and Luxray wanted to do three things: One, Charge. Two, attack. Three, listen for orders. Espeon sent it back to its Pokeball with a Roar before Luxray finished with one. The red light of Luxray's return gave Gengar the exact location of the Pokeballs. Conway recovered his wits and lunged for the end table, but he was too late, for Gengar had taken everything important.

Slowking diverted his attention between Conway and Gardevoir and lost to a second Roar. I pressed my attack on Conway. "Where do you think you're going? Do you know how many rules you've broken?"

"Rules?" he stammered.

"Yes, rules!" I barked as I turned up the lights.

He blinked against the brightness as he groped about for anything. "Slowking?" he asked.

"Your Pokemon have been recalled. There's no escape for you! Do you realize that you have:

Knowingly used an electronic and/or mechanical device to compromise the privacy shielding of this facility.

Knowingly used a malicious computer program to enter the billing/credit computer database to compromise the confidentiality of our customers.

"Officer I can…" he started.

But I didn't let up. "These are just some of the charges that his facility can bring against you. I'm sure if the couple in the room above were aware of your actions that they would press charges or sue for damages."

"Please Officer, I didn't mean…"

"Too late for apologies," I insisted. "Gardevoir, restrain him." My Pokemon psychically brought Conway's hands together. I tossed a two pairs of handcuffs over; one pair restrained his hands to the headboard, the other secured Conway's legs to the foot of the bed.

"What's going on?" he whined.

"I'll be the one asking questions!" At this point I wished I brought a riding crop to punctuate my sentences. Thankfully I saw the room had one next to the other toys for the aficionados of humilation.

"Could I have my glasses?" he asked sheepishly.

"So you can you continue to spy on the other customers? I think not."

"They're only glasses…"

I cracked the riding crop against the side of the bed. "Likely story," I replied in that higher pitched, and slightly nasally, voice that Jenny used. "Now I want to know how you breached our security." I remembered that this model of bed can be tilted to the vertical with just a sharp jerk, so I did. As he tried to organize his thoughts, I removed the lamp shade and let the sharp light pierce his eyes. As he blinked, I stepped in front of the light so he could only see my silhouette. In the light I saw that he's had a skinny body and not much facial hair.

"Could I have my glasses please? They're just glasses," he insisted.

I motioned for Gengar to give me the glasses, which were cold to be almost painful. I rubbed the cold glasses down his skinny, sticky, damp chest, over his flat stomach and to his most sensitive area. I smeared the lenses with his cum then put them on his face.

He blinked as his eyes adjusted. I his mind, I saw myself in a foggy distortion. Perfect. I walked away from the light. In his mind I can saw him focus on my short skirt. I turned slowly and he noticed how my tight, short jacket enhanced my bust. I stood again between him and the light then let the riding crop follow the same path his glasses took. "You've been very quiet since you got your glasses back. Perhaps you'll talk more if I remove them."

"N n no," he stammered.

"Computer breach. Talk!" I demanded as I cracked the riding crop on the side of the bed. I sensed in him a hint of arousal.

"I secretly gave Dawn a gift card for a night's stay at Fantasy Garden," he confessed.

"The Love Hotel?" I asked to see his reaction. "Gift cards are common. Many couples buy them for each other. How is your _thing_ so special?"

"This card was a prepaid credit card attached to a bank account that I opened. I have online access to charges made in real time. I cross referenced charges to the card with the Fantasy Garden's occupancy/maintenance computer records to determine which room she rented."

I noticed that the room was hotter and more humid than it should be for a dungeon, but in line with a jungle setting. I slowly unzipped my jacket to the halfway point. The tight zipper resonated with the drum like tautness of the jacket so it could have been heard it from any corner of that room.

"Well aren't we the clever boy?" I asked as I prodded his chest with the riding crop. Then I gave light slaps to the side of his ass as I pointed out, "The credit card is your business, but the maintenance computer is still off limits. You have a problem with 'off limits' don't you?"

"Yes," he admitted. I slapped the side of his ass a little harder. "Yes, officer."

"I think we need to explore that," I suggested while I caressed his privates with the riding crop.

"Explore…?" he mumbled. I cracked the crop against the head of the bed. "Explore, Officer?"

Explore I did. I went deep into his mind and picked through every dirty scheme he made in his obsession of Dawn. I opened the jacket all the way and fanned myself. "This wasn't a spur of the moment event," I observed out loud. "This took planning. You've been stalking Dawn for a while now, haven't you?"

"I wasn't stalking Officer," protested Conway.

I discarded the jacket and the hat and popped all the buttons of my white blouse. In his mind, I watched myself let my hair down as I arched back and showed off my black bustier. In his mind he tried to superimpose Dawn's image on me. I mentally instructed Gengar to go to my room and bring back hairclips.

"Gengar?" he replied in my mind.

Mentally I show him the steps, "My room, closet, dresser, drawer, open the drawer, take the hair clips. Conway's dreaming of Dawn so I'll pretend." He gave a little evil laugh as he faded away. _Haunter is fun around the gym; but in the tower, a perverted Gengar rules._

I moved out of the light so Conway could see me and cracked the crop hard. "Am I in uniform?" I demand.

"No, Officer."

Crack! "Then you will not call me 'officer'!"

"What shall I call you… ma'am?"

Crack!

"Madam?"

Crack!!

"Miss…" I raised the crop again. "Tress," he finished. "Mistress!"

"Good boy. Yes it was good for you wasn't it?" I bounced the crop on his hardened penis like a springboard.

"Yes, mistress."

"So, Mister 'I-am-not-a-stalker' Conway, you just happen to have the resources to watch her have sex with another woman? You stumble upon the idea to have Slowking link your mind to a woman who is running her tongue in and out of Dawn's tight little love hole? Was your Slowking good enough so you could taste every salty morsel of their love-making?"

"Yes, Mistress."

I turned my back to Conway as Gengar secretly fixed my hair. "That isn't luck. That's premeditation. You knew who Dawn's lover was. You followed them so Slowking can synchronize your senses to Dawn's lover. Once proficient, you made Slowking link Luxray's eyes to yours. Before Luxray, you had to watch from the bushes, but now you could spy right through walls. Now you can watch her when she's in the shower. You can watch them together in the shower. You can watch as she dresses and undresses."

"They're coordinators from Sinnoh, erect?"

"Yes Mistress."

Crack!

"Yes, they are coordinators from Sinnoh, Mistress."

"My question was 'E-rect?'. Are you erect?" I asked as I looped the leather thong over his penis.

"Yes, Mistress, I am erect."

I ran the loop down and up his penis. "It's important to tell the truth to your Mistress."

"Yes Mistress."

"So tell me the truth. You followed Dawn as she traveled from contest to contest. You liked it when she was on the road. When trainers go and explore nature, you get to watch them au` natural. You enjoyed it when she had to relieve herself in the woods. You had to smell it when she was gone. Did you taste her urine and dreamed that she did it in your mouth?"

"Yes Mistress."

"You raced ahead and waited for her at the bottom of a lake. There you were at the bottom of the lake, shivering against the cold. The only thing keeping you warm was thinking about watching her. Was she going to wear the swimsuit? Was she going to be alone? Was she going to swim with her lover? You're in luck, she's swimming naked. But it wasn't luck. No. Slowking was sending a hint, 'Dawn's lover wants to skinny dip.' You're Dawn's lover. Slowking broadcasted your desires to your other body. 'Skinny dip. Skinny dip.' So she did; she did it before and now she's doing it again. With Slowking at your side you can feel every passing brush of her skin. You can feel her soft mound as it presses against your hairless legs. You can feel your fingers reaching inside her."

"Yes Mistress," replied Conway with ragged breath.

I twisted the leather thong like a tourniquet to control what passed for his manhood. "Gengar: Torment. Gardevoir: Imprison," I thought.

"You thought of it as a gift: A happy afternoon with just a lake and her lover. That was one of many gifts. What other gifts did you give? Oils? Toys? Yes, you would love to give her special toys."

"Yes Mistress."

"Gengar, go to the storeroom and take the gift bag. It has a box with a special toy and a bow." Gengar caught the image I sent and disappeared again.

"You gave Dawn's lover a strap-on. You almost came in your pants at the thought of your rubber penis being rammed in Dawn's pussy; Dawn's perfect little pussy. Dawn's shaved, tight, little pussy gripping your puppet. You can feel your fingers gripping her tight little ass as you ram your penis deep into her."

"Yes Mistress."

I unzipped the tight bustier and let my breasts fall free. "You're thinking of her."

"Yes Mistress."

"What does she wear?" I asked and saw the image plainly in his mind.

"She wears short skirts, Mistress."

"You like short skirts don't you?"

"Yes Mistress."

"Yes you liked to be teased by the short skirts. You just can't wait for a panty flash. Which are your favorite panties?"

"A black lace thong, Mistress."

Gengar returned and continued his Torment of Conway. I turned my back to Conway and bent forward a bit. "Do you like my skirt?"

"Yes Mistress."

"Is it short enough?"

"Yes Mistress."

I gave a hard jerk on the riding crop. "Liar! You hate skirts, because they're never short enough." I faced him again and pulled my skirt higher. "This is still not high enough for you, is it?"

"Yes Mistress."

"You don't know because you can't see." I took his glasses off and held them in front of his mouth. "Lick," I demanded. Conway stuck out his tongue and I rubbed the lens against it. "Can you taste your cum? Dawn never will."

"Yes Mistress," he replied with melancholy.

I cleaned the lens against the fabric of my skirt then replaced the glasses on his face. I reached out with my mind and turned on the overhead lights. He scanned me from my Dawn hairstyle, down my plump breasts to the tight sheer miniskirt. He looked further down to my knee high boots, then back up to the skirt.

I saw in Zoey's mind that the lovers above were going to do it again. "Gardevoir, slowly link his mind to Zoey," I mentally ordered. I turned my back to Conway and pulled the riding crop between my legs. I bent over and gave him a great view of my backdoor.

"Dawn's lover has put on the strap-on. She's knocking on Dawn's backdoor." I pulled his penis tip toward my own pleasure center. As Zoey rammed hers in, I rammed backwards onto Conway's. "Dawn's lover is ramming Dawn's tight little hole. Isn't she?"

"Yes Mistress," he replied as he thrust his own hips back in forth in time to Zoey's thrusts. The leather thong that gripped Conway pleased me more than his clumsy, virgin thrusts.

Zoey had more stamina than Conway, but I compelled him to keep pumping me until Dawn climaxed, I tapped into Dawn's mind and produced my own climax in synch with hers.

I glanced at Gengar who was hiding in the shadows. He still had his evil grin as he maintained his Torment. If Conway was a budding masochist, then Gengar was the professional sadist. I didn't know which aroused Gengar more: Watching me please myself or discipline Conway.

Dawn and Zoey collapsed to the ground. I pulled away from Conway and he throbbed for release.

"Please Mistress?"

I knocked the bed back to the prone position. Dawn was climbing on top of Zoey, so I climbed on the bed and crept my way up his body. I my breasts rubbed against his skinny legs, until I reached his tormented cock which I pressed between my breasts.

"Please Mistress?"

"Please what?"

"Please Mistress, let me cum."

"No," I replied as I released his cock then continued my crawl up his body. I mentally requested: "Gardevoir, enhance his connection to Zoey's breasts." I rubbed my nipples against his. I rubbed my mound against his cock. I kissed him as Dawn kissed her lover. While Conway felt Zoey's tongue play with Dawn, I asked, "Are you Dawn's lover?"

"Yes Mistress."

I reached down and inserted his cock into myself. Dawn broke off her kissing as she rubbed her body against Zoey. Our breasts were pressed together.

"Please let me come," begged Conway, seconds before Zoey did.

In those seconds I went into his mind. "Are you Dawn's lover? But Dawn's lover is a rubber cock, it's not real. It can't cum so you can't cum. You're her secret lover, she can't touch you. She can never touch you. She can never know what you want or how you feel."

"You're right," agreed Conway as his mind shattered the images of Dawn.

"Conway?"

"Yes Mistress?"

"You can't make Dawn cum, but can you make your Mistress come?" I asked soothingly.

"Yes Mistress."

I shifted position: I planted my boots on either side of Conway's hips. I planted my gloved hands on his skinny chest and raised myself to a sitting position. "But The Mistress doesn't let just anyone cum inside her. You have to be a good boy to deserve that, but Conway is a bad boy," I punctuated that with a spank to the side of his ass which caused Conway squirm with delight. "Conway is a stalker. Conway spies on girls. Conway breaks the law. Conway doesn't deserve to cum in his Mistress. Does he?"

"No Mistress."

I rocked my hips and gave Conway's cock a little squeeze. "What is The Mistress going to do? She wants to cum, but Conway is a bad boy. Can Conway come up with an idea?"

"I promise to be good Mistress. I promise to do everything that The Mistress asks."

I raised my ass off Conway's so only the tip of his cock was left in me. "You promise to stop following Dawn?"

"Yes Mistress." I lowered my ass and ground it into his hips.

I raised my ass off Conway again. "You promise to stop spying on Dawn?"

"Yes Mistress." I lowered my ass and rewarded him.

I rose again. "You promise to surrender your computer programs?"

"Yes Mistress," he replied and was rewarded.

"You promise to surrender your electronics?"

"Yes Mistress," he replied and was rewarded again. That time I continued to raise and lower myself on him, while gripping whatever muscles I could find in his chest. Conway tried to thrust upward as I came down. After a dozen attempts he found my rhythm, so I quickened my pace. I could see his mind lose all higher functions and focus everything possible into thrusts and the burning, throbbing sensation building inside him. When he couldn't release, he begged, "Please!"

I leaned over and ask, "Do you promise to be good?"

"Yes Mistress!" I mentally winked to Gengar and Gardevoir who released their holds on Conway at the same time I slammed into his hips. Conway shouted, "Yes Mistress!" as his raging cock tried to fill me with his cum. His lower body shook as he tried to squeeze out the last drop will trying to maintain his physical high. His body finally collapsed from exhaustion. His breathing was ragged.

His body went limp. After his breathing became steady, I asked him, "What do you say?"

"Thank you, Mistress."

"Good boy. A good boy asks for sex; he doesn't steal it. Do you want to be a good boy?"

"Yes Mistress."

"If you want sex with Dawn, you have to ask Dawn. If she says, 'no', then…"

"I can't have sex with Dawn, Mistress," he answered.

I laid down on his chest and kissed his cheek. "Good boy." I massage my breasts into his chest. "Conway?"

"Yes Mistress."

"Will you make me cum?"

"Yes Mistress."

I turned around and telekinetically released all the handcuffs. "You know what to do, don't you?"

Conway's muffled voice replied, "Yes Mistress." Conway used his fingers and tongue to please me as Zoey would please her lover. I purred to encourage his good behavior.

"Conway is doing a good 'job'. So the Mistress is going to reward him," I purred. His reward was a specialized tongue bath. When his service of me slowed, I stop my licking. "Conway needs to learn about sex. When climbing a mountain, where is the best view?"

"At the top, Mistress."

"Who should Conway make cum, his Mistress or himself?"

"His Mistress," he replied as he resumed his duties.

I took him into my mouth again then purred as I sucked and licked. I took it out of my mouth but let my hand massage it as I commented; "See what happens when you make your Mistress happy?"

He nodded his head in a way that let the few bits of stubble on his chin to tickle me. He slipped his other hand around and explored my ass. When his finger squeezed its way inside, I sucked him harder. I tapped the controls on my Poketch to raise the psychic shielding and dampers of the room.

This was the moment that I built an empire for. I was no longer Sabrina the Psychic, or Sabrina the Gym Leader, or Sabrina the Dumped and Betrayed. I was Sabrina the Woman. I felt nothing beyond greedy lust. I could sense nothing beyond Conway's desperate intentions. Conway tried to push me over my climax, but I gripped him hard to let my intentions be known. Conway whimpered in pain. "Ladies first," I reminded him, but I could sense he was getting close to exhaustion. I loosened my grip on his manhood and my own restraints. I moaned lustfully as our juices flowed out. Conway's tongue lapped up his first, and perhaps last, taste of a woman.

We laid together entwined. His hot ragged breath played across my rear. Despite the jungle-like settings to the air conditioner, I felt cold and held myself closer to him. But as the moment faded away, so reality faded in: Conway wasn't my lover, just person who needed to learn a lesson.

I rolled off of Conway. He tried hold me, but he had no strength left. "Mistress?" asked the messy boy.

"You're spent Conway," I replied. "You don't have the stamina to do this all night." "Or the money," I noted to myself.

"I'm sorry Mistress."

"You should be sorry for those you manipulated."

"Yes Mistress."

As I started to gather my discarded clothes, Conway asked, "Will I see you again?"

I gave him a warm smile and replied, "Maybe." I felt the corners of mouth twist further into a wicked smile. "But you'll regret it." It took little psychic effort to push him into sleep.

I watched him as he slept. "Garde voir?" offered my Pokemon.

"No," I replied, "he had two good and genuine orgasms, there's no need to recharge his batteries just so I can do him again.

"Gar?" asked the other.

Espeon, who had been hidden as she kept watch over Conway's Pokeballs, growled a warning to Gengar.

To Gengar I replied, "Not tonight you horny beast."

Gengar looked dejected, so he looked to Gardevoir. She chose to watch me instead.

I looked upon Conway as I reflected on myself. He had a promising career as a Pokemon trainer, and with his encyclopedic knowledge, he could have been a successful Pokemon professor. Yet he put it all on hold to pursue an impossible love. "What an idiot. Don't you realize how many lovely young women go to college? I've got two dozen in this tower every night who as 'sizing up' future husbands, 'earning' extra money, 'cheering on' the athletes, 'paying' their tutors and 'performing' extra credit. Saffron Tower would be an official fraternity house of Saffron University if I didn't plant a dozen warp tiles around the campus."

With my Poketch I lowered the psychic dampers and shielding. The University district warp tiles transferred their customers to floors fourteen through twenty. Using the occupancy records, I found a suitable teacher: A young, nerdy, student tutor with the blond exchange student. In exchange for help in Biology class, she was teaching him about foreign tongues.

"Es pe?" asked my Pokemon.

"I think we need to go shopping," I quipped. "Gengar, please make the arrangements."

Gengar dragged Conway and me to the astral plane. We floated down through the floors until we reached sixteen. With the aid of Gengar's Dream Eater, we created a very vivid dream for Conway by using the student tutor's reality. We changed the dream's setting to a school laboratory, but Conway's mind insisted on making the exchange student a copy of Dawn. (Eight year old obsessions are hard to shake.) Gengar made a comment then chuckled. Since he was the expert in these parts I followed his plan: I float myself over and replaced the image of Dawn with my naked self.

"Do I know you?" asked his dream self as it sat on chair and wore only a white lab coat.

"I heard you were the smartest tutor on campus," I squeaked girlishly. "Can I make a down payment on your services?" I fluttered my eyes as I positioned myself between his legs.

As I took Conway's imagined, and oversized, manhood in my mouth, Gengar became the image of a chorus of more girls who complained, "Hurry up! We need your special tutoring: Finals are coming."

"And so am I…," cheered Conway.

We returned from the land of dreams and I took the Pokeballs from Espeon watch and secured them to Conway's belt. Next I placed the belt and his glasses on the night stand between him and the door. His clothes I hid under the bed. After I rearranged the furniture and his electronics, my Pokemon gathered around me. "You still have to pay a price, naughty Conway. Gengar, stay here and keep him asleep until I signal." The other two Pokemon and I teleported back to my home office.

When Conway's credit ran out for both rooms, I suspended the occupancy computer from kicking them out. "Computer: Offer the occupants of room 2407 an exit survey and a three hour gift certificate. Alert me if the occupants of room 2407 checkout or take the survey."

The computer displayed the command.

I typed a rather nonstandard set of instructions into the computer for floors 23 and 24. Satisfied for now, I pulled off the long boots and gloves and went to take a shower. I put on my spare officer costume then entered a meditative trance as I waited…

"Ring, ring, ring! Alert, Alert!" chimed the computer which snapped me out of my trance. I lowered the psychic shielding to tell Gengar, "Be ready, and don't let him hurt himself." The computer showed Dawn and Zoey completing the short survey and the gift card has been received along with the apology, "The management apologizes for a malfunction with our elevator. Please take the stairs to the floor below and use the elevator." Internal sensors showed the couple walked to the stairwell.

I ran the second program on the computer, and let myself sneak a peek in Conway's mind:

Conway's dream liked the idea of going back to school. He imagined himself now of being a professor at women's academy. He gave a demonstration to his sex education class of various positions. Unfortunately his first volunteer is my image. Thankfully he chose something other than the missionary position. The naked girls at their desks were making notes and sketches in their books.

The classroom was sweltering and my performance on the front lab table added to the heat. The girls fanned themselves with their notebooks. My body gave off steam until the overhead sprinkler broke at the same time that Conway came inside me. The fire alarm grew louder over the din caused by the spellbound students and the gushing water.

Conway refused to leave his dream: What very little of his mind that was conscious reached out to hit an alarm clock. His hand found instead his Pokeball belt. Reluctantly, his mind hit on the idea that he really did hear a fire alarm.

Conway sprang to his feet as his hand grabbed the belt. With his other hand he groped for, and found his glasses. I cued the emergency strobe lights from his room to the stairwell. "Run!" I suggested and Conway did. Gengar added to the panic with fake smoke and a touch of Confuse Ray.

As planned, Conway entered the stairwell at the same time Zoey and Dawn reached the door, which Conway threw open. Zoey flinched and averted her eyes, but Dawn was compelled to look and noticed the glasses, hair and chocker of, "Conway?" she asked.

"Dawn?" he replied. "Hurry, there's a fire!" he added as he raced to the first step.

"No there isn't," retorted Dawn, for the stairwell was quiet and still. The alarms and lights behind Conway were still as well. Conway froze as he contemplated what happened. "Conway, where are your clothes?"

"My clothes?" he asked before looking down. He screamed like a girl before he ran back to his room.

Dawn and Zoey left the stairwell and entered the hall. In the distance they saw Conway struggling with the locked door. Zoey pushed the call button for the elevator. I slowed the elevator from the control room.

"Let me in!" Conway screeched. "Please Mistress!"

"'Mistress'? Oh I guess Conway is into that sort of thing," Zoey commented to Dawn.

Dawn kept an eye on Conway as she asked, "What sort of thing?"

"Domination, whips, handcuffs and rough sex."

"Sounds awful," shivered Dawn.

Zoey took her frustration out on the elevator call button. "'Don't knock it till you try it,' as they say. Maybe we can try it at this beach thing you mentioned. Finally, the elevator is here."

"I don't think we should leave him," commented Dawn sympathetically.

"It's all part of the domination/humiliation package. He probably has a paid 'Mistress' in there, with his clothes."

The elevator doors opened and I greeted the couple as I pulled my officer cap down to hide my eyes, "Good morning and thank you for visiting. Have you two heard of any… I see him now. Please excuse me." I left the elevator while the couple entered. "You there: Put your hands up against the wall!"

Conway looked back at me, then to Dawn in the elevator. In his defense Dawn offered, "I think he's locked out of his room."

"Is that true?"

"Yes officer," he replied as he remembered to cover himself with his hands. "I thought I heard a fire alarm and ran out the door. Ha, ha."

"So this is your room?" I asked as I walk closer.

"Yes officer."

The elevator should have left by then, but Dawn was holding the door and watching with concern.

Zoey whispered to Dawn, but she screamed in her own mind, "Let's go. The officer will take care of it."

I cued up the altered occupancy list on my Poketch. "Are you sure this was you room sir?"

"Yes officer," replied Conway trying to be as forthcoming as possible. (Gengar laughed at my thoughts.)

"My computer shows this room is unoccupied."

"That's because I'm standing outside the room and my account has exhausted its funds," he replied almost smugly as he adjusted his glasses, which exposed him somewhat.

Dawn left the elevator, despite Zoey's hissed protest, "Dawn, let's go."

"But Conway's a friend. I think he needs help."

Zoey leaned out of the elevator as she hissed, "He's naked in a hallway and his dominatrix won't let him in his room. Yeah, he needs help."

"See?" replied Dawn as she walked closer

"He needs a shrink!" screamed Zoey under breath.

"Could you tell me under what name you registered the room?" I asked.

"Conway Peaks?"

"I'm sorry, but I do not show a Conway Peaks registered to this room."

"That can't be right," protested Conway as he makes a grab for my Poketch. I pivoted, grabbed his wrist and pulled his arm behind him as I pushed him against the wall.

"No sudden moves sir," I stated flatly.

"Conway!" shouted Dawn as she ran.

"Stay back Miss! He's acting irrationally," I ordered.

"This must be some mistake. Maybe he's confused. Maybe he rented the next room," appealed the young woman.

"She's right," added Conway. "I ran out of the room in a panic. It could have been anyone of these doors."

Zoey, in a huff, gave up the elevator and followed Dawn into the hall.

I pulled Conway's other arm behind him and cuffed his wrists. "I'm sorry sir for doing this," I apologized as I worked my computer. "I'm sorry, I don't show a 'Conway Peaks' for any room on this floor."

"'Conway Peaks'," repeated Dawn, "that's not your real name."

"I didn't want to use my real name in this place Dawn," he replied. How could he even hope to be smug when naked and cuffed?

"Dawn?" I looked at Dawn and asked, "Were you registered under the name 'Zoey Dawn'?"

"What?" asked Zoey.

"I guess so," replied Dawn. "It was a gift, so I thought that the registration thing was taken care of."

"Why?" asked the more direct Zoey.

"I have you two registered in this room." I narrowed my eyes at the blue-haired girl and asked, "Is this some kind of joke?"

"We were on the floor above," stated Zoey. "As we were checking out, the computer said that there was a problem with the elevator and we had to take the stairs. It even gave us a coupon as an apology." Zoey held out the coupon.

I scanned the coupon. "This was printed from room 407. But the computer shows room 407 was registered to Conway Peaks."

_I don't want the customers to realize they were in Saffron Tower, so the love hotels are clustered as independent buildings, each with a floor numbered one._

Fear gripped Conway. Dawn and Zoey turned their attention fully on him. Conway turned very pale.

"The billing records shows that both rooms were paid by the same credit card number," I added.

Zoey and Dawn's eyes turned from 'questioning' to 'inquisition'.

"Can you two describe your room?"

"Jungle," stated Zoey.

"That would put it on the floor above," I stated. "You said it was a gift. Who from?"

"A man in the mall gave me the certificate," stated Zoey. "He wore a clown costume. He said it was a special promotion for 'couples'."

"Mister 'Peaks', who paid for your room?" I asked.

"I got a certificate too," he stammered.

"Billing records show that the name on the credit card was 'Conway Peaks'," I lied, but now the records lie as well.

"Impossible," he turned to me and protested, "the name on the account is 'Love Promotions Number Nine'! It has to be!"

"Why is that?"

"Because that's the name I used when I set up the account…" Conway fell to his knees.

Being so matter-of-factly and smug finally got Conway into trouble.

"Conway?" growled Dawn.

"I can explain…" he stuttered.

"Then explain," commanded the girl with firebrands for eyes.

"Well you see, that is I knew that you and Zoey probably had feelings for each other, but since you're on the road or at Pokemon centers that you two wouldn't get a chance to, you know, be together, and that you'd be too shy to rent a room, so I did it for you as a gift. I just didn't want you to know that it was from me."

"Why?" asked Dawn with less of a growl than before.

Conway started to sound smug again, "All your friends could see that there was something between you two. I also saw how nervous you were in public. I figured that you needed the right setting so you could be comfortable with your feelings. It was also important that you made the choice to express yourself to Zoey, without worrying about what your friends thought."

Conway was a good liar. I supposed if someone stalked Dawn as long as he did, they'd have her thoroughly psychoanalyzed and could make her believe anything.

"If Cupid wasn't going to act, I figured someone hard to."

"Oh, Conway that's sweet," cooed Dawn.

"I don't buy it," grumbled Zoey.

My Poketch unlocked the door. I opened it and turned on the lights. "How do you explain this?" I demanded.

From his place on the floor, Conway spun his tale, "Since I went through the trouble of creating an anonymous account, I thought I check myself into a room as well."

Zoey peeked around the doorway and looked puzzled. Her eyes darted from the bed, which was in a slanted position, to the unusual tools used for 'love'. Her eyes settled on the electronic equipment that I was standing next to.

Dawn helped Conway up and into the room. Zoey followed and inspected, but avoided touching, the room's furnishings.

"Mister Peaks, could you explain the purpose of this equipment?" I asked.

"I'd rather not," he replied sheepishly. His mind was growing defensive. He made a good lie for Dawn and then wanted to bluff his way out of this.

"This equipment is designed to interfere with the psychic shielding of this facility, thus allowing a psychic Pokemon to read, or alter, the thoughts of someone in an adjoining room. Since this room is directly below the room occupied by Dawn and Zoey, and that the equipment is focused on the ceiling, I'd have to conclude that you intended to use this equipment to read or alter the thoughts of Zoey and/or Dawn."

Dawn's gentle grip on Conway's arm became viselike as she growled, "Conway."

"Do you have a psychic Pokemon, Mister Peaks?"

"He has a Slowking," stated Dawn.

I walked to Conway and grabbed his belt near his Pokeballs. I removed a Pokeball and released its occupant: Luxray.

"That's not a Slowking," stated Zoey who lacked anything better to do.

I recalled Luxray before he could act. I took the other Pokeball and let Slowking come out for a second then recalled him too. "That would explain a few things," I stated smugly. "Miss Zoey, do you notice a damp spot on the floor over there?"

"Damp?" she asked with a hint of disgust, but her curiosity got the better of her. "Yes."

"Is there a pattern to it? Best not to touch the evidence," I suggested.

"I guess so. Two short legs, a big butt and a thick tail: It's like a Slowking was sitting here. But that means that this white stuff is… Conway was your Pokemon jacking off while reading our minds?!"

Dawn's expression showed a mixture of shame and rage.

I stood between Conway and Zoey's attempted charge. "Miss Zoey," I said to get her attention. "Please follow that white stain a few feet and tell me what else you can find."

Zoey did and listed: "Hair. Light and dark blue hairs. Another white stain."

Zoey thought to take out her Pokedex and point it at the evidence. As soon as the cheerful computer voice of Dexter said, "Luxray…," Zoey snapped the lid shut.

Dawn's grip slackened as she asked, "Conway, how could you?" Tears started to well up in her eyes, "I looked up to you. I respected you. To think you spent the night spying on me and Zoey…,"

"Dawn…," muttered Zoey.

Conway just hung his head in shame.

"When this is reported to the police, I'm sure the Pokemon league will be informed," I conjectured.

"You'll lose your standing," stated Zoey. "Maybe the police will confiscate your Pokemon."

"No, please! Don't take away my Pokemon. Slowking was my first Pokemon. I've raised it from a Slowpoke! I don't care if I'm kicked out of the Pokemon League. I deserve it for what I did. Please don't take my Pokemon. Please Dawn, please don't let them take my Pokemon. I'm so sorry for what I did!" Conway threw himself to the floor and groveled at Dawn's feet. "Please Dawn. I couldn't help myself. I fell in love with you the first time we met in the tag tournament. You were so pretty and I was so shy. Every day you grew more beautiful and I loved you even more, but I couldn't say anything. I knew you loved Zoey. I knew you could never love me, but I had to hope, it was all I had…"

"Conway, I'm sorry. I didn't know," she apologized. She looked angelic in her forgiveness.

"Well, I don't," commented Zoey. "I don't think that he should 'get off' that easily."

"I agree," I concurred. I wanted to see how butch Zoey was.

"I'll never do it again. I'll do anything you ask. I'll go away so you never have to see me again. Just please don't take my Pokemon. Without you, they're all I have left."

"Please don't report Conway, officer," begged Dawn.

I caught Zoey's eyes as I repeated, "Anything?" Zoey followed my gaze to a rope hung from a pulley on the ceiling. Zoey misread my intentions and looked back in horror. I then looked to the discarded riding crop on the bed. Zoey looked back at me with an evil smile.

Zoey went to the wall, untied and lowered the rope. I walked to Conway and told him, "Stand up."

He did, but his head still hung down.

I moved him closer to the lowered rope. Zoey was tying the end of the rope into a noose, as I freed one of Conway's wrists from the cuffs. Dawn saw our activity and came to the same mistaken conclusion that Zoey did. "You can't hang him!" she protested.

Conway's eyes burst open with fear. His body tried to flail its way to freedom, but I slipped the handcuffs through the noose and caught his once free arm. I pulled myself free of the rope, and Zoey hauled away with all her weight. She secured the end then tightened out the slack whenever Conway gave it. In the end Conway's arms were stretched above him as he stood naked and exposed. I retrieved the riding crop and slap it against my open palm.

"What are you two doing?" asked the panicked Dawn.

"He needs to be punished," replied Zoey. "If he rented this room, he must like to be punished."

"Is that true Mister Conway Peaks?" I slapped his ass in the same place as last night. "Do you like to be punished?"

"Yes," he mumbled.

"I think that he needs to be humiliated as we were humiliated," offered Zoey.

"Is that true, Conway who peeks? Do you need to be humiliated?" I asked, as I stroked his rear with the crop.

"Yes," he muttered again.

I slapped him on the ass and said, "How do you answer her?"

"Yes Mistress, I need to be humiliated," he replied.

I leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Good boy Conway." As his eyes grew wide with realization I slapped his ass again.

"Don't hurt him," pleaded a confused Dawn.

"But Conway, who likes to peek, wants to be hurt, doesn't he?"

"Yes Mistress. I am naughty. Please hurt me."

I demonstrated to Zoey how to hold and use the riding crop. She took the toy and gave Conway a slow series of lashes.

Although Conway's penis showed that he was enjoying the treatment, Dawn threw herself in front of the crop. She yelped and cried, "No more! Stop it."

"Dawn I'm so sorry," exclaimed Zoey as she tossed the riding crop away.

An invisible Gengar went to the hallway and collected the left behind bag. He returned to the room and closed the door. Zoey was trying to comfort Dawn. "We've had enough," protested Zoey.

Gengar dropped the bag next to the couple. Zoey could plainly see what's inside. She recalled 'finding' it in their room last night. I looked from her to the spying equipment and remind her, "…read or _alter_ another's thoughts."

"This was your idea too wasn't it?" demanded Zoey as she pulled the strap-on dildo from the bag. "Was it my choice to use this on Dawn? Or was it yours?" Before Conway could answer, Zoey pulled herself away from Dawn and stated, "Well I'm making a choice right now." She threw off her vest and shirt. She almost broke off the buttons of her pants as the pulled them off. "You want to be punished worm?"

"Yes Mistress," he replied reflexively.

Zoey was now naked. She planted herself in front of Conway. "I've seen enough of your Pokemon's dried cum. Now look what I have here," she gloated as she waved the dildo under Conway's nose. "This is Dawn's cum." Zoey lustfully ran her tongue up the full length of the phallic. "This is something you're never going to taste."

"Yes Mistress."

"You're an ass, Conway," hissed Zoey as she stalked behind him. She strapped the dildo in place. "Because you're an ass, you're getting it up the ass!" She rammed the dildo between his cheeks. She maneuvered the tip until it found his hole then she rammed it deep. She kicked Conway's legs open, sunk her nails into his shoulders for purchase and humped his ass, hard.

"Zoey, this isn't right," argued Dawn.

"He was using me!" countered Zoey. "He was using me like I was some dildo. I'm not someone's plaything to be used and tossed in a box! I have feelings too! I love you Dawn and he used that to please himself! The one chance that we have together and I get used!" The rage and tears swelled Zoey's eyes shut.

Dawn grabbed Zoey and hugged her tight. Because of their position she was hugging Zoey's small chest into Conway's back. "I'm sorry Zoey. No one should use you."

I realized then that there something much more important than Conway's transgression. I also realize that I do not want to be in either of those women's minds.

"Gengar: Hypnosis!" My Pokemon followed my mental command and put the threesome into a deep trance. "Use your Dream Eater to erase everything in their minds back to the stairwell."

_Gengar may be my naughty Yang, but he is also my problem solver._

I mentally summoned Gardevoir and asked her to, "Untangle them and put Zoey's clothes back on." Using Psychic, she untangled our guests and made them appear as they did in the stairwell. Except for the dildo.

"Voir?" asked my Pokemon.

"I don't want to clean it," I protested.

"Gengar," suggested the Pokemon as his giant tongue hovered inches above the dildo.

"You lick that Gengar and you'll never put that tongue in my body again," I scold.

"GAR de Voir!" added Gardevoir in a rare scolding moment.

Gengar stuck his tongue at Conway then psychically rammed the dildo back into Conway's ass.

"Good as place as any," I stated. Gengar and I both chuckled. "Gengar, go back to the storeroom and bring them another gift bag." After Gengar faded away and back in, I quipped, "Places everyone. Take two. Action…"

Dawn and Zoey walked hand in hand down the stairs. Their bodies were tired and their minds were foggy from a long night of lovemaking. As they reached the exit Conway burst through the door. Zoey flinched and averted her eyes, but Dawn was compelled to look and noticed the glasses, hair and chocker of, "Conway?" she asked.

"Dawn?" he replied. "Hurry, there's a fire!" he added as he raced to the first step.

"No there isn't," retorted Dawn, for the stairwell was quiet and still. The alarms and lights behind Conway were still as well. Conway froze as he contemplated what happened. "Conway, where are your clothes?"

"My clothes?" he asked before looking down. He screamed like a girl before running back to his room.

Zoey looked in her shopping bag and saw the resemblance between her toy and the one sticking out of Conway's retreating rear. "I think you've got that wrong way around," she called out.

Dawn and Zoey left the stairwell and entered the hall. In the distance they saw Conway struggling with the locked door. Zoey pushed the call button for the elevator.

"Let me in!" Conway screeched. "Please Mistress!"

"'Mistress'?" questioned Zoey. "Oh I guess Conway is into that sort of thing," she commented to Dawn.

Dawn kept an eye on Conway as she asked, "What sort of thing?"

"Domination, whips, handcuffs and rough sex."

"Sounds awful," shivered Dawn.

Zoey took her frustration out on the elevator call button. "'Don't knock it till you try it,' as they say. Maybe we can try it at this beach thing you mentioned. Finally, the elevator is here."

"I don't think we should leave him," commented Dawn sympathetically.

"It's all part of the domination/humiliation package. He probably has a paid 'Mistress' in there, with his clothes."

The elevator doors opened and I greeted the couple as I pulled my cap down to hide my eyes, "Good morning and thank you for visiting. Have you two heard of any… I see him now. Please excuse me." I left the elevator while the couple entered. "You there: Put your hands up against the wall!"

Conway looked back at me, then to Dawn in the elevator. In his defense Dawn offered, "I think he's locked out of his room."

"Is that true?"

"Yes officer," he replied as he remembered to cover himself with his hands. "I thought I heard a fire alarm and ran out the door. Ha, ha."

"Let me open this door, then we can get this straightened out," I offered. I opened the door and Conway rushed in. I turned to Zoey and Dawn, touched my cap with the riding crop then slapped it against my palm. I could hear Zoey laugh while Conway turned to me and screamed like a schoolgirl.

End of Chapter One

Author's Note:

As I read the reviews of this story and others that I have submitted, I realized that excessive sex doesn't make a better story. True, the overall plot I created was that Sabrina conquered the sex industry of Kanto to fulfill her need, but as I wrote stories I found that exploring why her needs couldn't be met was more important than the sex itself. Yes Sabrina would be the same age as those silly, drunk college girls who lift their shirts for the camera and wrestle in jello during spring break. [That image is going to stick for a while.] But how could the Sabrina that trained obsessively from age three to sixteen change her nature?

After I create more stories for Sabrina, I may return to chapter one and rewrite it again. I may even create pre-chapters. I did hint at a love-thing with break-up involving Anabel…


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Resubmission: Fix some errors in grammar and adjust the wording.

There are still lemons.

Sabrina's Journal

Rooftop Visitors

Friday night. After a week in the gym, I so enjoyed, yet dreaded, Friday night. It was summer, so the city had felt stuffy; Stuffy from the heat, humidity, and the mental activity of young people. Some young people had mental activity that I could enjoy publically: Young trainers concentrating on their Pokemon battles. The other, not as young, people had their minds on everything else; thus creating the great mental white noise equivalent of cicadas in heat.

For relief I came here to Saffron Tower, my tower. I entered through the basement level, from the cool passages of the underground shopping arcade. I used my Poketch to clear myself through security and accessed a service elevator. I knew I could get to the penthouse faster via teleportation, but I needed the moment.

I set the elevator to take me up slowly as I shed my public costume. As each floor went past, I let my mind reach out and touched the emotions that leaked past the psychic shielding that was built into the tower. Nothing was out of the ordinary, just the usual feeling one found in a love hotel.

The elevator opened at last to a small corridor. I opened the door at the other end, entered and threw all my clothes into the waiting laundry hamper, telekinetically.

My waiting Pokemon greeted me, "Gardevoir." Noting my mood, she asked me about my day, "Voir de voir gar?"

"It was a typical summer Friday: Gym battle and lessons in the morning; business lunch with the lawyer; workout and afternoon lessons; early dinner and meeting with Yuri.

"Gardevoir," observed the Pokemon.

I walked outside to the rooftop garden and laid down on the lounge near the pool. I let the warm rays of the evening sun and the cool off shore breeze play with my skin. "It's not like that," I countered. "He's the assistant instructor and judge for the gym battles. I have to meet with him and discuss business."

"Voir?"

"He's somewhat attractive," I admitted. "I'm his boss. I don't think he's attracted to me as an equal."

"Voir, Gardevoir, garDEvoir."

"Yes I know that all Queen Bees have their drones."

"Gengar, gar, gar!" joked the other Pokemon from the shadows.

"I'm not going to mate with him then eat him!" To no one in particular I asked, "Why do all the males I meet have to have an inferiority complex?"

"Geng?"

"Except you, you pervert."

"Gengar geng?" he asked.

"No I don't want sake. Could you pour me a glass of payapa wine?"

"Gar," surrendered Gengar. The garden had an outdoor bar near the pool, since the designer thought it looked good. It wasn't mentioned that the penthouse would be used by me; else they probably wouldn't put in plants, let alone a bar. The only thing of note that I drank was payapa wine which has a damping effect on my abilities. Gengar tossed a white towel on what passed for his shoulder, took the wine from the cooler and poured a glass. He levitated the glass over until I took it from him.

I turned to thank him and saw that he was polishing another wine glass with his meter long tongue. I giggled, "Thank you." I sipped the wine then placed it next the pool as I climbed in. I boarded the S.S. Godiva: a one person pool float lounge. Occasionally I would splash a little water on myself and let the evaporation cool me. Time drifted by like the clouds, I focused my mind on nothing and watched it happen. When Gengar crept closer to top up my glass, Espeon laid down next to it and reminded Gengar of my strict rule of one glass.

Perhaps an hour or two slipped by before a passing airplane caught my attention. It shouldn't, but it did. It flew high and far away, yet if I concentrated on it, it would reply "airplane" without knowing what an airplane was. As if some child had wrote "airplane" on a cardboard box and assumed that would be enough. I watched it carefully as I adjusted the building psychic dampers.

The psychic shielding that I developed, which financed my empire, was adjusted to reflect the carnal thoughts and emotions upward. Sixty eight floors of sexual energy erupted around me: The shy lust from the maid café; the raw passion from the love hotels; the masochistic pleasure from the dungeons; the basic instinct from the Pokemon breeding center; the lonely release from the video booths; the drunken wanting from the strip clubs; the choreographed orgasms from the film studio. All of this erupted around me and through me.

Gardevoir and Gengar cried out as they tried to cope. I moaned. My hand reflexively went between my legs, for my body wanted to feel the same release that hundreds of beings just felt. How I wished I had something to use other than my fingers. Luckily for Gengar and Gardevoir, they had each other. I could sense as their passion was added to the geyser. Espeon shielded herself with Protect. In my mind's eye I could see her in a lone bubble in the great psychic fountain.

I bit my other hand as part of my mind tried to focus on the 'airplane'. I tried to direct some of the escaping energy towards it. It changed its path and slowed. I broadcasted every lustful, needing thought I could. The plane changed its course towards us. I yelled to the Pokemon, "We'll have company soon! Be on your good behavior!"

I raised the shielding slightly. Espeon's Protect failed shortly after. She rubbed her aching mound against the grass until she could put up another Protect. As the 'plane' approached I turned the shielding higher. I was barely conscious when the guest landed.

"I am so glad you're not a real plane," I joked.

"Who are you?" he asked without moving his lips.

"Sabrina. Who are you?"

"Mewtwo," he replied with a thought that bounced off the walls and rattled the wine glasses.

"You sure have an enormous sense of self."

"Why have you brought me here?"

"To see what you were. Your psychic masking stood out in my mind. It made me curious. Forgive me if I don't get up, but the signal I used is very strong. Please make yourself comfortable."

"What do you want?"

"Now there's a philosophical question if ever I had one transmitted into my head. Oh my head; both of them."

"Both? You are not a Pokemon like Doduo, you do not have two heads."

"You are a real literal one aren't you? (It explains the cat-like appearance. Heh.)"

"A joke?"

"It's a human thing. When some of us get drunk, everything seems funny," I replied sporadically.

"Indeed," he replied as he looked at the wine glass.

"I'm not drunk on wine," I protest. "I'm drunk on the psychic energy I used to call you. And so you came, and yet I doubt it. Hee hee."

"Again a joke."

"Have you ever been drunk?"

"No."

"I don't recommend it. Where was I?"

"In a swimming pool."

I cupped my hand and ladled some water on my chest. I think my nipples perked a bit. "Yup. One pool. I meant, 'Where am I in the conversation?'"

"I asked, 'What do you want?' You mentioned philosophy then got distracted."

I replied, "The answer is 'sex'."

"Sex as in gender or reproduction?"

"The later."

"How is that philosophical?"

"You realize that I'm floating naked in a pool and my legs are spread open?"

"Is this relevant?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "What things must Pokemon and humans have to survive?"

"Food, water and shelter," he listed.

"What other thing must we have to survive as a species?" I asked in a tone that I'd use on my students. "Hehehe. Sorry, my mind wandered."

"I do not know your answer."

"Sex, the topic of today's… this evening's lecture."

"I understand: sex is needed to continue the species in the next generations."

"There you go. The individual doesn't need it to survive, but is compelled to do it for others. Thus it is a want for the individual and not a need."

"How does your philosophy apply to the species that do not use sex for reproduction?"

I blinked. I blinked again. "I never thought of that," I admitted.

"I find that a common trait among the humans."

"You're one to talk. Do you think of anything other than yourself?"

"Yes."

"I doubt that," I retorted, trying to get the last word.

"Don't judge me by your standards."

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" I complained as I clutched my head. "Whenever you refer to yourself, you do it so strongly that it makes my teeth rattle."

"I do?"

"That's better. Just then you thought about someone other than yourself so you didn't shout 'I'." I watched my guest as he pondered what I said. "Thank you."

"For not shouting?"

"Yes, and I'm sorry if I upset you. If you tell me about yourself, perhaps I could be more tactful."

"I doubt that."

"Do you have that low an opinion of humans?"

"I did, once. This time I think that your philosophy will make it difficult for you to understand me."

"You're a clone," I stated flatly. "I knew that already."

"How?"

"Rumors of your existence and your connection to Team Rocket caused the police to investigate. Investigation involves talking to experts. I was consulted about psychic Pokemon."

"If I am a clone, then I was not created from sex. If I can make clones, why would I need sex?"

"I don't know." I rubbed some pool water on my forehead. "I'm having difficulty thinking right now. Would you come by again? Maybe I'll have an answer next time." Noting the aura of skepticism emanating from Mewtwo I added, "I think you want some philosophy."

"Perhaps," he replied while floating into the sky.

I watched him disappear over the horizon as I fell asleep. I woke later shivering so I paddled to the side of the pool and staggered out. Espeon stayed by my side as I went inside and found a robe. "Where are Gengar and Gardevoir?"

Espeon led me outside to where the other Pokemon were asleep and intertwined in the grass.

"Peon?" she asked.

"I don't he'll come back tonight."

Espeon sighed in relief.

"I'm sorry for putting you through that. How can I make it up to you?"

"Pe?" She trotted off towards my bedroom. I followed and saw her paw open my dresser. She stuck her muzzle in and pulled out a large vibrator. She trotted to the doorway and beckoned me with her tail. We convened in the grass where we worked out Espeon's 'frustrations'.

The following morning I awoke with a psychic hangover. So I showered, dressed in modest clothes and went to the one place where I'm treated as a human being.

"Hello! Mom?" I called out after I opened the front door to the modest house my parents lived in.

"I'm in the kitchen," she called back. I kicked off my shoes and worked my way back to the kitchen, where upon Mom said, "You just missed breakfast, but I could fix you something."

"Do you have some rice?"

"Certainly. Have a seat. What's on your mind? How are you feeling? How is young Mr. Cellars?"

I massaged my temple and asked, "Slow down, please."

She handed me a bowl of warm rice and chopsticks. "You ask for plain rice on a Saturday morning when you have a hangover. You've had quite a few hangovers recently."

"I'm not an alcoholic," I tried to assure her.

"I'm not saying that. I was hoping that were spending your afternoons with Mr. Cellars and that you had a good time."

"Mom," I whined. "Yuri is an assistant instructor and the battle judge for the gym. I have a dinner with him to discuss gym business, that's all."

"Have you asked him out?"

"No."

"Has he asked you out?"

With a mouthful of rice I mumbled, "No." She gave me a warm smile and a guilty stare. "I think I intimidate him."

"Of course," she replied as she gathered leftovers from the fridge.

"What does that mean?"

"Why do people get into relationships?" she asked rhetorically. "Because each person contributes something that the other person can't. Sometimes a person can be intimidated by the most trivial things. Remember when you trapped me in the doll house?"

"I'm still sorry for that…"

"Do you know that your father never once used the washing machine when he was on his own? To this day he's still afraid of the iron and can't sew a button."

"Women's work?"

"You're father doesn't fall for stereotypes. He is actually afraid of making a mistake that he doesn't know how to correct. When we first met, he was intimidated by me."

"You?" I asked as I took some pickled vegetables.

"Yes, your father was a psychic long before we met. Even though he could read my mind, he was still afraid of what I would think, not just at the moment, but in the future. You're afraid too. You're afraid of what other people think because you can read it so easily. It's okay to be afraid, as long as you don't give in."

"Thanks Mom."

The rest of that day went by without incident. I asked Yuri out for a drink and he agreed, but it seemed like he obeyed.

"Miss Sabrina, is this okay?" he asked as we walked into a bar near the gym.

"Are you of legal age and have your i.d.? If yes, then this is okay."

"Yes, I mean should we be drinking? I mean since…"

"I'm not going to make you drink alcohol. They have some great fruit mixers too." We sat at a little table. "Are you afraid of losing control, or are you afraid of being seen with me?"

"I'm not as strong as you and I don't have your level of control," he confessed.

I shared with him, "Well I don't know how to run the floor waxer and I always doubt myself when teaching students. You're a much better teacher than I am."

"Don't say that Miss Sabrina."

"Please don't call me 'Miss' when we're off duty."

"Sorry."

"Please don't apologize either."

"…Okay." He pointed to his menu when the waitress came by. I ordered a half of glass of red wine. "Why do you think that you're not a good teacher?"

"As a child I started at a very high level of ability. I think that the students resent that. Maybe they heard the stories of what I did years ago and are afraid. I bet they respect you because you work so hard every day. You inspire them."

Yuri blushed. It was so cute to see that. I smiled.

"What? What did I do?" he asked in a panic.

"Nothing. Relax." The drinks arrived. His was a tall fruit mixer. Before I sipped my wine I said, "I was just thinking that you look cute when you blush."

He froze in place and his blush intensified. I took another sip of wine and watched him. He lowered his eyes and stared at nothing. "Either you're concentrating to block me from reading your thoughts," I speculated out loud, "or you're trying to blush harder to turn me on."

He snapped to attention and knocked over his drink. I caught it with telekinesis before it hit the floor. "No Miss Sabrina, I wasn't trying to turn you on," he blurted out.

"Damn," I pouted. "I wish someone would."

"What do you mean? You're Sabrina, the most famous woman in Saffron City."

"I'm Sabrina, the most infamous woman in Saffron City. I don't need my abilities to know that people are afraid of me."

"What you did was long in the past and wasn't well known. People understand and forgive."

"It's more than that. I feel that people are always on guard around me. That they fear I'll learn their secrets. It's like everyone acts like you did just now. Don't you feel that way?"

"I'm not famous like you. Outside of the gym, I doubt anyone knows who or what I am."

Awkward silence ensued. I swallowed my wine in one gulp then said, "This place is kind of stuffy. Would you join me for a walk?" Yuri nodded, so we left money for the drinks and walked outside. "Yuri, where do you go to get away?"

"What do you mean?"

"Where do you go to get away from the mental noise? How do you escape?"

"Oh, yeah that…" He blushed redder than before. "Well I don't do that sort of thing," he stammered.

"Do what?"

"What you were talking about," he blurted. "I don't do that sort of thing."

We walked some more away from the center of the city. "Are you talking about 'masturbation'?" I asked.

His whole body blushed. Sweat dripped from every pore. His gait became robotic.

"You have to work on the blushing thing."

"I can't help it," he said through clenched teeth.

"Remember, I have a past of cruelty. With Haunter's help I learned to laugh. Then I learned to tease. You would be a lot of fun to tease."

"Please don't."

"Can I trust you with a secret?"

Yuri nodded.

"I masturbate. I masturbated last night. I masturbate several times a week."

"I thought you wouldn't tease me," he replied.

"I'm not trying to tease you. I'm stating a fact. Sure, masturbation is a topic that people don't want to talk about, but that doesn't mean it's wrong; just private."

"I'm sorry. I'm not feeling well," he exclaimed as he ran the other way.

I sighed. I pushed things too hard and too fast, again. After all he'd have to put up with at the gym; I'd thought he was tougher than that. I continued to walk in no particular direction. By midnight I walked halfway around the city and into my penthouse. My Pokemon tried to cheer me up. I thanked them and went to bed.

Sunday I took Espeon out for a ride on my bicycle. I set out to make the Fuchsia City Loop: Celadon, Fuchsia, Vermillion, and home. I left a message on Yuri's phone, apologizing for my behavior on the previous day.

Espeon sat in the basket and enjoyed the breeze. We drank in the smells as we passed Erika's gym. Cycling road was peaceful enough. We watched the ocean from route 18, until our stomachs growled. I headed straight for the Pokemon center in Fuchsia City for lunch. I checked for messages and found none. I hit the road, along the coast, for home. Along route 13, or maybe 14, I stopped riding and listened for silence. In my mind I could hear the murmur of the scattered villages in the hills and the trainers chasing Pokemon. Espeon jumped out of the basket and walked into the brush. I followed her, as I dragged the bicycle up the hill. At the top was a grassy meadow with summer flowers and a great view of the ocean. Upon my arrival, Espeon curled up for a nap.

"It's a long way back home," I reminded her.

"Espeon, esp esp on," she countered.

I parked the bicycle and laid in the grass. I watched the clouds and waves. I tried to focus my mind on the tiny thoughts of the bees and bugs, until I noticed that the sun had moved very close to the horizon. I checked my Poketch for the time, it was late. "We have to go. It'll be dark soon."

Espeon stretched then led me back to the road. After she hopped back into the basket, I said, "Thank you suggesting that nap. It was nice to get away from all the noise." The ride back home was long. We stopped in Vermillion City after dark for dinner. We made it back to the penthouse after midnight.

The next morning Yuri left a message that he was sick. I had Jean, the other assistant instructor, split Yuri's duties with me. Tuesday morning Yuri was still sick. I called to ask what was wrong. "Something I ate. My stomach really hurts."

"I really hope you get well soon. Your students miss you. This gym needs you," I said trying to cheer him up.

On Wednesday, Yuri still wasn't there. Millie, a promising young student, asked if they could make get well cards for Yuri. I told her that it was a great idea. So we spent the morning making cards, and I offered to deliver them after lunch. Millie even gave flowers.

I checked the records for Yuri's apartment. His address was in the same part of town as mine. Yuri's apartment was in one of the older buildings in the redevelopment zone. With the sun past noon, the old building was truly in the shadow of Saffron Tower.

In a tiny lobby, I found Yuri's mail slot and buzzer. "Yes?" He replied via the intercom.

"It's Sabrina. I brought you some get well wishes from the gym."

"…Uh, I'll be down in a minute."

I stood and waited until I heard feet jogging down the stairs. Yuri was wearing sweats and a robe. His face was pale, but his eyes were bloodshot. "Have you seen a doctor?" I asked.

"Just allergies," he sniffed.

"Everyone at the gym misses you. Even Haunter is gloomy. If there is anything you need me to do, please ask." I handed him a shopping bag full of get well wishes and a bouquet of flowers.

"Thank you. Please thank everyone at the gym. I hope to be there soon."

"I wish you'd tell me what's wrong."

"It's just something I have to work out of my system. Please have a safe trip back to the gym."

"Yuri, I could go right through your mind and learn exactly what is going on, but I won't. I won't because I trust you and I trust your judgment. I hope you can trust me too. If there is something, please ask."

"Thank you." He almost stuttered, "I'll call you."

I gave him a short bow and walked out. I teleported back to the gym and finished out the day's business, including one gym battle. My mind wasn't into it and the challenger won. After the students had gone home and the gym was locked, I got a call from Yuri. "Could you come back to my apartment? I have something to say."

"I could be there in ten minutes," I offered.

"I'll be here."

I teleported to my apartment, took the service elevator down and walked out a backdoor. A short walk later I was in the tiny lobby of Yuri's apartment. He was still bundled up in his robe.

"I'm sorry," he said.

I sighed then I noticed that he was fumbling with some card and he smelled faintly of alcohol. He grabbed my wrist and dragged me out of the lobby, across a narrow alley and through a nondescript door. He slapped the card against a reader on the wall and activated the warp tile beneath our feet. I found myself in a small clean bedroom. I checked my Poketch, it placed me in room 1402 of my own Saffron Tower.

"I couldn't face you," confessed Yuri. "I couldn't let you see me after I was so weak. I looked up to you. I wanted to be like you: confident, in control, above the opinions of others." Yuri cried. "I lied to you. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, but I lied. How I wished you would go through my mind and read the things I couldn't say…"

"What lie?"

"I masturbate. There I said it. I masturbate thinking of you."

I tried to remain very calm. I knew I was safe in my own tower, but Yuri was on edge.

"I can never go back to the gym and face you, but I wanted just once to see you." Yuri disrobed. Yuri was a flat chested woman. "I love you," she confessed.

"Why here? Why don't you do this in your apartment?"

"Too many minds around me in the apartment," she replied. "I couldn't let them hear my thoughts as I thought of you. Here it was safe. No one knows me here."

"So you spent what little stipend you had so you could rent a room in a love hotel. I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry."

"Don't be. I'm free here. My thoughts are my own. In my apartment I was overwhelmed by the feelings of others. It left me so empty inside. But being here is worth it. This will be the last time. I'll masturbate one more time, then I'll go back home to Mossdeep." She threw herself on the bed and rammed two fingers into herself.

"Yuri, please stop."

"No Mistress. I'm finally doing what I wanted for so long."

Telekinetically I retrieved her card and ran it through my Poketch. "Here, save your money," I stated as I tossed her the card. I walked to the door.

"I'm sorry I disappointed you Sabrina," she cried and trembled.

"Do you trust me?" I asked.

"Yes," she sobbed. She covered her face with her hands.

I draped her robe over her shoulders. I held out my hand and said, "Come with me." She clutched her robe tightly as she followed me into the hall. She looked confused when I unlocked a maintenance door and boarded the service elevator. "Do you know where this love hotel is?"

"No, that's why I used it."

The elevator opened. Yuri followed me to my penthouse. "Amazing! This place is beautiful. So when I was…"

"When you were masturbating and thinking about me, you were fifty floors below me."

Yuri blushed.

"That is not the problem." I touched Gengar's and Gardevoir's minds and instructed them to stay out of sight. I led Yuri to the outdoor garden, then up the stairs to the observation platform. "There is your apartment," I pointed out.

"I see it." Yuri enjoyed the view. The sun was about to set, the city lights were coming on, in the other direction Mount Moon was glowing pink and orange.

"Yuri, the problem is that this building doesn't house one love hotel; it holds every love hotel of the city."

"What?"

"Your empathy abilities have been sensing all of the sexual activity of the city, because it's been happening two blocks from your home. I would be flattered if you really had feelings for me, but if those feelings were the result of this building…"

"I understand." Yuri clutched the robe tightly and noticed the card in her pocket. "What did you do to this card?"

I walked down the stairs to the garden and out of the wind as I spoke, "I refunded your money."

"How?"

"I own this building. I own a majority interest of every business in this building. I have put love hotels out of business around Kanto, and even Johto, just so everyone will come here."

Yuri giggled.

"It's nice to hear you laugh. Tomorrow we need to find you a new apartment on the other side of town. You can stay here for the night if you want. I'll turn the shielding up so you can rest."

"Thank you."

"Do you need anything from your apartment? Your Pokemon?"

"I left my Pokemon at the Pokemon Center. I didn't know if I'd go back to my apartment or run away…"

"I hope you stay on at the gym. We can tell the students that your building made you sick and that you weren't feeling like yourself. After a few weeks away from this neighborhood, when your mind is your own again, then make your decision on leaving or staying."

Yuri nodded with faint tears in her eyes.

"What next? Are you hungry? I'm sorry to say that I rarely have guests so I don't know how to be a good hostess. Make yourself comfortable. Do you want a change of clothes?"

Yuri's eyes sparkled as she looked the swimming pool. "Do you have a spare swimsuit? I haven't gone swimming in years," she stated longingly.

"I have a penthouse apartment all to myself on top of the tallest building in Saffron City, why would I need a swimsuit?" I pulled her robe off and tossed her into the pool.

She splashed about then treaded water as she fumed, "Why did you do that?"

"Because I don't have any swimsuits and I rather you swim and be relaxed then tense up over _going naked_. There are towels right here if you need one. I'm going inside to get something to eat." After a quick change out of my Gym uniform and into just gym clothes I went to the kitchen. Gardevoir peeked around the corner. "Have you two eaten?"

Gardevoir nodded. She looked in the direction of the pool.

"Yuri lived too close to this building. I'm not sure how much she was affected. I want to give her time," I said as warmly as I could.

Gardevoir gave me a wink and retreated back to her room. I ate some rice balls and checked the building's computers. Satisfied that all was in order, I went out to the pool. Yuri was floating on her back watching the stars come out. "Did you swim a lot in Mossdeep?" I asked.

"Daily. The ocean was warm; there were lots of little islands and reefs so the waves never get rough. Solrock and Lunatone would levitate after me as I went from island to island," reminisced Yuri.

"Why didn't you have a Slowpoke or Starmie?" I asked as I pulled off my sweats and underwear.

Yuri's eyes were still pointed at the stars, but all she could see was the seas around her home. "Slowpokes aren't native to Hoenn and I didn't have the patience to go fishing for Staryu," she stated with a chuckle.

I entered the pool while dragging the S.S. Godiva behind me. I boarded the lounge and floated about the pool. Yuri turned to watch me and blushed. "I told you I don't have swimwear," I stated. "Now before you blush and freeze up, remember your training. Try to keep you mind focused on something other than your body,… or my body."

"Yes Mistress."

"Yuri, this isn't the gym and I am most certainly out of uniform."

"Yes, Sabrina. Why Godiva?"

"If I rode through town naked, I sure everyone would lock their doors and close the shades. Don't blush."

Instead Yuri giggled. "I'm trying to imagine you naked on a bicycle."

"I was thinking about a motorcycle. Why is a bicycle so funny? I have a bicycle."

"I had one too. It was pink, with training wheels and colorful streamers on the handles. One day I wanted to ride it so much, that after my bath I ran right out of the house and rode it down the street. Mother was chasing me with my clothes."

I laughed. "That is funny. What could be more terrifying than the psychic gym leader thinking she's three?"

"Now if you were to ride a motorcycle, like a hot red street racer, and all you wore were boots and long gloves, you'd have everyone lining the streets to watch."

"Stop it…"

"Why? Don't you think you're sexy?"

I opened my mouth, "…," but nothing came out. I thought some more. "I guess I don't think I was sexy enough. But I also suppose that I haven't thought enough about what sexy is." I looked at the pool and my apartment. "I thought about sexy as a business."

"Geng, geng gar." Gengar's naughty laugh was heard a split second before the water hit us.

"Gengar!" I scolded.

"What's happening?" asked Yuri after she came up for air.

"Gengar turned on the fountain." I paddled the SS Godiva away from the spray. "Is it bothering you?"

Yuri stroked her way to my side and said, "I don't mind. It gives my mind something to focus on."

Gengar appeared on the observation deck above and chuckled as he beckoned Yuri. "What does he want?" she asked.

I cautioned her, "Gengar has a dirty sense of humor. I think he had some secret influence on the architect. Go on and take a look."

Yuri climbed out of the pool and walked quickly up the stairs. The evening was still hot but cooling. "What is it?" she asked of Gengar.

Gengar pointed back towards me as I floated in the oval pool. Yuri shrugged her shoulders. Gengar floated out to the edge of the building and raced along its circumference. He floated over the center of the building where the fountain was. He floated back to Yuri's side and chuckled.

"I wish I knew what was so funny. What are you trying to show me?"

Gengar looked disappointed then had an idea. He melodramatically reached into his groin area, produced his massive penis and sprayed Yuri. He laughed as he faded away.

"Yuck!" exclaimed Yuri. "Gross, it's in my hair! I think there's some in my mouth," she spat.

"Do you get the joke now?" I called up to her.

"I don't think it was very funny," fumed Yuri as she stomped down the stairs. Her full body was in blush.

"Wrong joker, wrong joke," I quipped.

"Huh?"

"You're used to Haunter's jokes at the gym: Pie in the face, whoopee cushions, etc. Gengar is different. He thinks whoopee cushions are funny for the word, 'whoopee'. Don't even get him started on 'cream pie'." Yuri was splattered with slime and looked like she needed a hand. "There's an outdoor shower on your right," I pointed out.

I let my mind think of nothing but the sound of water until the shower stopped. Yuri had a towel wrapped around her as she walked back to the poolside. "Do you get the joke now?" She shook her head. "Go back up and look."

Yuri did. "What am I suppose to see?" she called out.

"Do you see the fountain?"

"Yes."

"Can you see the circumference of the building?"

"Yes."

"Do you understand why I said, 'circumference' and not, 'perimeter'?"

"Because the building is a cylinder and not rectangular," she replied.

"Good. Now what else is cylindrical and has liquid shooting out the end?"

"Is that a clue?"

"That's the joke." Silenced followed. "Are you blushing?"

"Yes," she called back.

"It wasn't my idea," I assured her. Yuri descended the stairs, walked to a lounge chair and sat primly down. "Few people know I even own this building. I contracted for a penthouse suite with pool and garden. Gengar and Gardevoir spend more time here than I do."

"So Saffron Tower is really a…"

"Giant penis with a sex junkie living at the top who psychically drinks in the collective orgasms of Saffron City," I finished. "Yes."

"…" Yuri blushed hard then said, "I thought it was a bidet."

My jaw dropped. "Oops," was all I could manage. I scrambled out of the floating lounge and climbed out of the pool. Yuri followed me up the stairs to the roof deck.

"See? The roof doesn't make a full circle," Yuri pointed out. "There is a break in the roof in line with the pool and fountain."

I laughed out loud. I laughed until I had to clutch my sides. I stomped on the floor and shouted, "You got it wrong Gengar, you pervert!" To Yuri I said, "When I said to the architect that I liked his work, I forgot that he designed the headquarters for Soso Toilets."

Yuri laughed as well.

I thought about Saffron Tower as being the world's tallest bidet. "Is it in a record book somewhere?" I shuddered at the thought. Yuri had mistaken my actions for shivering, so she took off her towel and draped it over my shoulders. I used the towel to dry my hair and ask, "Are you cold?"

"No," she replied, "the breeze feels nice."

"Liberating?" I suggested.

Her mind had wandered off so she asked, "Hmm?"

"Were you always 'Yuri'?"

"… Yuri is my brother's name. My real name is Yuki."

I finished using the towel so I tossed it down to the garden. I offered her my hand and said, "I'm pleased to meet you Yuki, I'm Sabrina."

She took my hand and shook it.

"So your background information and resume is actually your brother's?"

"Yes and no." She sighed. "Yuri and I are twins. As we grew up people couldn't tell us apart."

"Even when riding your bicycle after your bath?"

"Okay, people couldn't tell us apart when we had our clothes on. We were both psychics, but Mossdeep already had a pair of psychic twins, so we were in the background. I was also a tomboy. In fact I was more aggressive than Yuri, so I took the role of the brother, while Yuri became the sister. I knew that someday I won't be able to hide the fact of who's who, but it never came. Maybe it was a consequence of being psychic, but my body never 'developed'."

"Or your psychic link with your brother made the 'role reversal' physical," I speculated. "So when you applied as Yuri, the events listed in your resume were actually done by you?"

"Yes."

"Nobody knew you here in Kanto, why continue?"

Yuki stretched into the wind then said, "Because my brother is a Pokemon Coordinator in Hoenn and he's still using the name Yuki. If I change my name back it exposes him."

I exhaled loudly. "That's really taking a lie too far."

"I know, I'm s…"

"If you apologize to me, I'll kick you," I warned as I bumped her with my elbow.

"What now?" she asked.

"I still have a gym to run, and I still need a head instructor. You are a great instructor. The students want you back, and I don't care what name you choose. Will you come back to work?"

"Yes."

"Done. Next you need to move to a psychically quiet part of town. We'll look through listings for promising areas tomorrow."

We watched the lights and stars for awhile. "Do you really use this building to …," Yuki started.

"Feed on sexual psychic energy? Yes," I replied flatly.

"Is that all?"

"It is very arousing, but no. The building is also a laboratory for the psychic shielding we developed at the gym. That shielding is the basis for many security, and defense, contracts that paid for the building in the first place. I also use the system to train."

"Train?"

"Remember the resistance training we give the new students, where we tell them not to scratch their nose?"

Yuki finished with, "Then we use Kadabra's hypnosis. If the student scratches he loses a point. 'Sabrina Say's'."

"You call the game, 'Sabrina Says'? No wonder the students like you; you've been using me as the 'bad cop'." I tried to act indignant.

"I'm sor..ow!" I cut off Yuki by kicking her.

I shook my finger at her and said, "Sabrina Says: Don't apologize when I'm off duty."

We shared a good laugh over that.

"You use this entire building for 'Sabrina Says'?"

"Of course," I replied. "Sabrina says, 'Have sex.' Yes they are having sex."

"I can't sense it," replied Yuki.

"Good, because I turned the shielding up to protect you."

"… Um, do you think you could let me train?"

"After all the problems that this building has caused, you still want to use it to train? Why?"

Yuki worked up her courage and said, "I've always looked up to you and have used you as inspiration for myself and the students. If you're willing to use this building to make yourself a stronger psychic, then so am I." After a deep breath she added, "Please don't let it fry my brains."

"Have a seat, and prepare yourself." Yuki and I both sat cross-legged on the roof. I felt the nonslip surface poking my skin. I programmed my Poketch to open some of the barriers. As I waited with my finger on the button, I asked, "Ready?"

"Yes."

"Then Sabrina says, 'no orgasms and no touching.'" With that I lowered the shielding for the top ten floors.

I let my mind's eye watch Yuki, or rather Yuri. Her default psychic image was of Yuri the assistant teacher. Yuri's image was in the same seated position as her real body, but it floated over a pit of flames and a rainbow of sparks. The sparks popped out of the pit and would crash into the bubble of calm that Yuri projected.

The sparks had a code to them. Each one represented someone being touched at a certain place and the intensity of the feeling. The light brushes of the hand and massage of the shoulders were easy enough for Yuri to deflect. Kissing and tongue play did get through Yuri's bubble but her image didn't falter. She did very well avoiding the sparks that focus on the nipples. Her strong male image was a good defense.

Then I saw the true challenge building. Where the other feelings and thoughts were warm, below us was a primordial beast ready to pounce. An intense white beam shot straight up, through Yuri's groin, then skyward. Yuri's image was shattered and replaced with Yuki's naked and sweaty body. Her bubble faltered and a shower of sparks coalesced on her sensitive and tender places. She fought to regain control of her self-image. Yuri's image flashed in and out in its entirety then it was a Yuri image were sensitive regions reset to Yuki.

I slapped the control on my wrist to restore the barriers and dampers. I watched the mental light show as the pit sealed itself one level at a time. We both opened our eyes. Yuki's body had a light sparkle where the perspiration caught the colors of the city lights. "Reactions and observations?"

"What was that beam that went through me?"

"A psychic cascade."

"Cascade?"

"It's not something that we study at the gym." I stumbled for an analogy. "It's a psychic laser."

"Like Psybeam?"

"No…," I sighed. "Do you know what an orgasm is?"

If she blushed I couldn't tell in the limited light. "Yes."

"Most of the people below are having sex are couples. Each person gets to an excited state and hopefully waits for their partner. They then try to have their orgasm at the same time, or the person with the better control waits for the partner's orgasm to start and releases their own. At the moment of orgasm, the excited mental state is released." I paused, waiting for a question. None came. "The shielding used in this building is the same shielding that you used in the exercise. It deflects or mutes the psychic energy.

"Under normal circumstances the psychic energy would radiate out. Here the energies can be sent in a direction, up. If the energy finds a person in the excited state of mind before an orgasm, it can trigger it. The person on floor 60 has an orgasm then their partner follows. On floor 62 a person has their orgasm triggered by the passing thought. On floor 65 a person is hit with the idea, 'Orgasm,' from three people. If I closed the deflectors on the top floor first, then it would reflect that triple thought down and trigger an orgasm on floor 61.

"Orgasm's ability to trigger other orgasms is a natural necessity for reproduction. It also works across species. If this building was filled to capacity, with humans in the love hotels and Pokemon in the 'Daycare Centers', and the dampers were turned off, you could shoot a beam 50,000 feet into the air and make everyone on a passing airplane wet their pants."

"Have you tried that?"

"Absolutely not. I have to keep tight control on the shielding so it won't happen."

I could tell that she was shivering. "Let's go back down," I suggested. We got up and walked back to the lighted garden. "I see that the sex laser left its mark."

"What?" I pointed to wetness dripping down her inner thighs. Yuki gasped, blushed and turned away in one motion. "I better go wash up," she blurted as she dashed for the outdoor shower.

As she ran, I recalled that Jean once mentioned that Yuri had a tight little ass. I never paid attention to Yuri's rear, but Yuki's tight end was cute. I gave her a moment to herself then I joined her in the shower. I washed the bits of roof grit off and washed away my own side effects from the sex laser.

Emboldened, Yuki teased, "I thought the great Sabrina had better control."

I replied, "Sabrina says, 'You don't get to touch or have an orgasm.' I didn't mention myself."

"No fair," she protested.

"I'm trying to train you to resist temptation, not submit."

"So you're taking a shower to tempt me?"

"I'm taking a shower to get this bird dropping out of my ass," I countered as I scoured the mentioned spot with the wash cloth.

Yuki giggled. "Sometimes you sound more butch than I do," she teased. I psychically turned the shower spray into her face. "That's employee harassment!" she burbled. After her mouth filled with water she squirted at my face.

I wound the wash cloth into a small whip. "As long as I'm not sexual it's okay to harass the employees. Isn't it 'his-ass', in your case?" I demanded as I whipped her butt with the wet towel.

She ran from the shower screeching, "Sexual Harassment! Sexual Harassment! Sexual Harassment!"

I chased after her swinging the towel over my head. In the deepest voice I could manage I bellowed, "If you ever want a promotion in this company you must be willing to provide 'special service'!"

I chased her around the garden and the poolside, until she grabbed a magazine. Yuki used her most authoritative classroom voice to say, "Mr. Company Executive. I'm here to serve you papers to summon you to court for a case of sexual harassment."

"I'm in an important meeting. See my lawyer." I blurted out as I ran the other way. We ran, chased and laughed so much that I had to collapse in the grass to catch my breath.

As I laid on my back, Yuki caught up. She bent over and said, "You're out of shape for a gym leader," between her own pants for breath.

"I'm not used to laughing this much." I swallowed and gulped in more air. "Comment on my 'shape' Mr. Yuri and I'll sue you for sexual harassment."

"Make it a double," countered Yuki. She dropped to her knees and planted her lips on my own. Since I was trying to breathe, she got her tongue in my mouth. Regrettably, I let her continue. It felt so good to be kissed by someone for who I really was, and not what image I was projecting. I found Yuki's tongue with my own. I felt my way around her teeth and the roughness of her tongue.

Yuki put a hand on my breast; she gently squeezed it as her tongue worked its magic. She broke her kiss to catch her breath. "Yuki…," I sighed.

"Sabrina…I can't…"

I cut her off, "Cool off." I lifted her psychically and dumped her in the pool. After I walked to the poolside, I reminded her, "Sabrina says, 'You don't get to touch or have an orgasm.'" She was treading water and spitting out what she caught in her mouth. "No kissing either. Not until I know you're in your own mind and not under the influence."

"Sabrina, I'm…"

I held up a finger to cut her off. She smiled and nodded her head. "Now unlike some people who called in sick for the last few days, I need some sleep. I'll fix up the couch for you so you can swim as much as you like. Good night.

I woke the next morning, thankfully alone in my bed, to the buzzing sounds of the alarm clock. I dragged my naked self out of bed. In the kitchen I found Gardevoir making coffee. "Good morning. Thank you," I replied as she handed me a fresh cup. "Did you keep Gengar away from her last night?"

Gardevoir nodded and yawned, "Gar…voir."

"You stayed up all night? I'm sorry."

Gardevoir blushed slightly.

"That's one way that will keep him occupied," I joked with a wink. "Well now you can go to bed and actually sleep. I'll make Yuki wake up." Gardevoir glided off to the bedroom she shared with Gengar. I walked to the living room. Yuki was sprawled out on the couch, with legs and arms in every direction. "Wake up Yuki!"

"Huh?"

"Wake up and go to work."

"Yeah, sure thing…,"

I continued with my morning rituals: feed, clean and dress self. I returned to the snoring Yuki and said, "Get up."

She blinked her eyes, yawned and said, "That was the best sleep I had in a long time."

"Try again tonight, but go to work now."

She flopped on to the floor and dragged the blanket behind her. She walked to the broom closet and opened the door. "Where are my clothes?" she asked.

"In your apartment," I answered. "This is my apartment. Your clothes are two blocks away."

"How am I going to get there? What do I wear?"

"Walk, unless you've mastered Teleportation. You've got a bathrobe."

"I can't walk two blocks in a bathrobe," she protested.

I handed her bathrobe and said, "Sure you can. Let's go." I escorted her out the door and locked it behind us.

"Can't we take the warp tile back to my apartment," she suggested.

"I don't remember which room you used, so I don't know which subcontractor uses that warp tile and where the exit point is. Don't worry, it's good exercise." We entered the elevator and headed down. "You have learned invisibility haven't you?"

"No. If I could turn invisible I would!"

"Good time to learn."

"What?"

"And the chance of being seen is a great incentive," I continued. "Pretend that you're wearing a long winter coat and flat shoes. Then focus and project that image. Do not waver in your belief that you're wearing the coat. If any mind touches yours, you reply is, 'winter coat and shoes'. If you sense anyone looking at you, your transmission is, 'winter coat and shoes'. Now try it."

"Now?"

"Better here than outside." So Yuki did. She projected the image of her winter coat and low flat shoes; an unusual combination for this time of the year, but in a city as big as this one, who'll notice? The elevator came to a halt and opened to the service corridor. I overrode the security controls and exited the building. "Lead the way." It was still early morning and the office workers hadn't arrived. Yuki concentrated hard at being invisible, so hard in fact that several people thought her choice as a new trend.

When we reached her building, she ran upstairs to her room. I walked up after her. I knocked on her door. She opened it and I entered. Before she could complain I said, "You did a very good job for a first-timer."

She opened her mouth, "…Really?"

"Yes really. I have been very impressed by the abilities that you have displayed this morning and last night."

Yuki blushed again. "Thank you."

"Now get dressed and impress me again by going to work."

"Yes Miss Sabrina," she bowed. Before I could protest she added, "You are in uniform."

I teleported to the gym. The only incident of the day was Yuri's return. The younger students missed him and carried on. Yuri said that he had to move, and Jean was insistent on helping him. I kept to myself and my duties. At the lunch break I highlighted on a map the better parts of town for a psychic to live in. Jean found out and offered to help Yuri look for a place after the gym closed. After everyone had left, I stayed longer to finish paperwork.

"Zam?"

My mind snapped back into focus. "What is it Alakazam?"

"Ala ka zam?" she asked as her mind transmitted a series of questions.

"As far as anyone needs to know, Yuri has come back to work and will be feeling much better after he moves to a new apartment." Alakazam wasn't satisfied with that much. "Yuri was avoiding Jean for personal reasons. Yes they have to do with me, but I don't want these reasons to affect Yuri's, Jean's, yours or anyone else's performance."

The Pokemon nodded sagely and said, "KAzam."

"I did not screw him! Where did you pick up such language and where did you get that idea?"

Alakazam recalled in my voice, " … but I don't want these reasons to affect Yuri's, Jean's, yours or anyone else's performance."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

The Pokemon just winked and walked away. The problem with super-high IQ Pokemon, is that they love making up riddles. I stretched out my mind, locked the doors, turned off the lights, and teleported to my comfortable chair at home.

I was almost asleep when I received an unusual call, "Do you have an answer to my question?"

"Could you repeat the original question?" I asked back on the same wavelength.

"How does your philosophy apply to the species that do not use sex for reproduction?" repeated Mewtwo.

"I'm sorry to say that I haven't been thinking about your question lately."

"Indeed. Then let me ask another question: How does your philosophy apply to the beings that choose not to reproduce?"

"I haven't answered your first question and you want to give me another?"

"One of your human philosophers felt that it was important to ask questions. Sometimes the asking is as useful as the answer."

Mewtwo broke off his communication, but for the sake of having the last word I said, "Super intelligent Pokemon and their riddles."

The Poketch rang with a cell phone call. The display showed that it was Jean, the other assistant teacher. "Yes Jean?"

"Is Yuri there?"

"No. Why?"

"I thought that he was with you…"

"I thought that you were helping Yuri look for apartments," I said.

"We were looking then he disappeared."

"Disappeared? Did you call his cell?"

"I did, but he didn't answer."

My Poketch vibrated indicating an incoming call from… Yuri. "Jean, I'll look into this. I'll call you back when I learn something." I hung up on Jean and answered Yuri, "Yuri, I heard that you disappeared."

"Disappeared?" answered Yuri's voice.

"Jean called." I waited then stated, "You're blushing."

"Yes."

"Jean got too close and you ran away."

"Yes."

"Do you want me to call Jean back and makeup a plausible excuse?"

"Yes please."

I hung up on Yuri. Before I could call Jean, she called me. "Jean?"

"He's there with you isn't he?"

"Yuri? No. Why would you think that?"

"I saw you two together last week at the bar. Then when he didn't show up at the gym, I thought that it had to do with you."

"Yuri was not at work because his apartment was in a bad location and he was mentally exposed to rather disturbing elements. Now tell me, were you spying on me?"

"Not on you, but I knew that you went to Yuri's apartment."

"Of course I did, I delivered the get well wishes from the students."

"I saw you go back to his apartment later then you ran into the love hotel."

"You were spying on me," I stated flatly.

"I'm sorry Sabrina sensei. It's just that I…"

"I'm impressed Jean. I didn't think that anyone could spy on me. I'd love to discuss with you your techniques."

"Wha…what?"

"Jean, you care about Yuri. I appreciate and respect that. Yes, Yuri dragged me to a love hotel. I realized that Yuri wasn't in his right mind so I stopped him from doing anything that he'd regret. I will continue to stop Yuri from doing anything that he may regret when he is in his right mind."

"…"

"Jean, I wish you the best. When Yuri is normal, I hope that you make your feelings known to him. But I also hope that you'll respect his choice."

"Yes, Sensei," she replied dejectedly and hung up.

Yuri called again. "Sabrina, can I sleep there tonight?"

"If you've packed and are willing to let Jean help you move, then yes."

"…Okay."

"I mean it, no running away. If she gets too close and personal just tell her. I told her that you've been under a bad mental influence so I hope she understands." I waited for a response. "Are you still there?"

"Yes, I…I'll do it. So do you have a front door?"

"Literal or figurative?"

"Uh?"

"Just go to Saffron Tower and take the elevator to the observation deck. I'll meet you there." I dragged myself out of the comfortable chair, tossed a light jacket over my gym leader clothes, and shuffled out the door and down three floors in the elevator.

The observation deck has a panoramic view of the city. At that moment, tourists and couples were gathered at the west side to watch the sunset over Indigo Plateau. One man on the side had set his camera on a tripod to photograph Mt. Moon. "I see we have a connoisseur."

"Pardon?" replied the man with an accent.

"Everyone else is watching the sunset."

"Ah yes. But the sunset casts wonderful colors on the mountain. I like to think that the sunset is the pallet, while the mountain is the canvas."

"Never thought of it that way," I mentioned.

"Do you get to see the mountain often?"

"Whenever the clouds permit," I quipped.

"You must be a local." I gave a slight nod. "Mt. Moon is truly a majestic mountain. I have made it my goal, to view and photograph all the beautiful mountains of the world, and in all their guises."

If I wasn't psychic, I still would have known that he was interested in my 'mountains'. I faked interest in his story as I unzipped my jacket. "What do you mean by 'guises'?"

"Mountains that look like other things; Things that look like mountains; Mountains whose colors are naturally changed by sunsets or spring flowers," he listed to 'peak' my interest. "I have a photo album if you like to see examples."

There's the teaser. I smile and nod. He made a quick search of his bag. Here's the closer.

"I'm so sorry, my album is back in my hotel room, but I'm willing to go get it."

I sensed Yuri's mind as he searched the observation deck. "I'm at the window closest to Mt. Moon," I sent to Yuri's mind. "Are you Yuri, or Yuki?"

"Yuri," he replied along the same mental path.

"I've got a tourist hitting on me. He wants to take me back to his hotel room for a photo session. Want to mess with him?"

"No."

I smiled to the tourist and said, "I don't want to take you away from the beautiful mountain." I waved goodbye, took the approaching Yuri by the arm and disappeared into a blind hallway. On the way up to the apartment I asked Yuri, "Ever visit the observation deck before?"

"No. Have you?"

"It's my building, so yes I check out the public areas and see if they still fit within my business plan."

Showing a new bit of cheekiness, Yuki asked, "There's a plan for a 'giant penis with a sex junkie living at the top who psychically drinks in the collective orgasms of Saffron City'?"

"That's pretty much the plan."

"So you want the tourists to have sex on the observation platform?"

"Well running the carpet cleaner is cheaper than using a maid service to change sheets and sanitize the bathrooms. Great idea Yuki, I'll bring this up at the next meeting."

"You're kidding…right?"

I gave Yuki I sideways stare, then smiled.

Yuki giggled. Yuki giggled or laughed most of the evening.

"I'm sorry to impose, but may I also use your pool? I brought my swimsuit…," she asked as I ate my simple dinner.

"Swim in whatever you want," I replied. She raced to the bathroom and changed. "You know that Jean is spying on you."

"Me?"

"I think Jean likes you…," I sent in a sing-song fashion.

"To think that the great and powerful Sabrina can act like a teenager," mocked Yuki.

A horrible sound of jet engines roared from the garden. Gengar, Gardevoir, Espeon and I raced outside and readied for a fight. Yuki was frozen in place: She was about to drop her bathrobe and enter the pool. "What's … going … on? You guys want to go swimming?" She asked as we searched for the source of the horrible sound.

"Can't you hear that sound?" I asked.

"You mean the 'swimjets'?"

"Yes, that jet-like noise."

In a voice used to calm crazy people she replied, "They're called, 'swim-jets'. As in: jets of water in the pool that allow you to swim." She pointed to the pool itself. The far end of the pool was white like rapids. Yuki finished disrobing and entered the pool. The current pushed her to this side of the pool, so she pushed off and swam into the current. She stopped and came to rest against the near side and said, "See?"

"I didn't know it could do that," I muttered. Yuki gave me that knowing smile of patience used when waiting for the simple to grasp the obvious. I shrugged my shoulders. She giggled. I returned to my dinner. After dinner, I returned to my comfortable chair.

I opened my laptop and saw that work had piled up. The psychic shielding needed frequent testing. Being the top psychic of the city, I would make attempts to breach the shielding and read the thoughts of staff member of my security company. "Yuki! I have to go out and get some work done. If you need anything ask Gardevoir, unless it's perverted, then ask Gengar."

"'K!" she shouted back from the pool.

I read through the test parameters and schematics on my computer as I made my way back to the observation deck. I sat in a chair, away from the lovers and tourists, and prepared myself for the testing. I focused my mind Mr. Johansen who was working late and right below me. I felt my way to the charged screen that surrounded his office. I noticed that the screen's charge fluttered periodically. I decided to time my test between the pulses: Send a suggestion through the first pulse then read Johansen's reactions with the second…

"SABRINA SENSEI?!" I was thrown from by chair and to the floor. "Sabrina Sensei, where's Yuri? I know he came here to see you," demanded Jean.

"Jean, you shouldn't be here," I stated as I got off the floor.

Jean rattled off as series of complaints, "I can't let you take Yuri away from me. I love him. You're just using your position to control him…"

Jean shouldn't have been there for the same reason that Yuki shouldn't live two blocks away. Unfortunately when love is in the air, so is jealousy. I slapped Jean across the face. While she was in a moment of shock, I teleported her to the pool above.

I projected my thoughts to my Pokemon, "Gardevoir, keep Jean there until they work something out, but don't let them hurt themselves." Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the photographer capturing the city lights. I returned my thoughts to Gardevoir, "Take the laptop. I'm going out." The laptop teleported away, so I wandered over to the photographer.

"I thought you took pictures of mountains."

"Alas all the mountains have gone to bed," he replied.

"That's one way to put it."

"Where is your date?" he inquired.

"With another woman," I tried to fume. "Maybe we could go look at your mountains, and that will cheer me up."

His name was Ian. He packed up his photo gear and led me to his hotel room two miles away through the bustling nightlife. His photos were, as I suspected, of both real mountains and women's breasts. He asked if he could take pictures of my breasts. He claimed that were the more beautiful than Mt. Moon. I agreed and suggested a better place for him to 'shoot', and to bring all his 'equipment'.

The love hotels of Saffron Tower can accommodate almost any fetish or fantasy. For the amateur porn stars, we even have photo studios to rent. Ian insisted on using his equipment, so I chose a room with a view, and the best security. In his mind, he didn't know where the love hotel was. His focus was on getting me naked and hoping to go further. My Poketch discreetly alerted me to suspicious electronic signals. I jammed them. I let Ian photograph me nude, at the window and under the lights. I suggested that the lights made the room hot and he should make himself comfortable. Ian did by removing his own clothes. I pretended to be aroused and took him to the floor. "I think that you're underdressed Ian," I said as I produced a fresh condom from thin air.

"Do I really need it?" he replied.

"It's always important to have protection around me," I teased. "You never know what I could do." He let me put the condom on him; in exchange I let him set his camera for automatic shooting. I mounted him and pumped him in and out of my pussy. I dug my short nails into his chest, while I psychically stimulated his penis. I brought him to the point of bliss, and raided his mind.

I shattered any barriers he constructed and false images he fabricated. At the core he was a corporate spy and mild psychic. I took every idea he had of me, my company, and his employers. The last part was limited. I believed that his employers suspect my involvement. I placed him in a deep trance, while I went through his equipment. With my work done, I moved him to a different room, changed his billing records, rebuilt his memories and left him for security to kick out in the morning.

I returned to my apartment where Yuki and Jean were on the couch talking. Both were wearing bathrobes. They noticed my arrival and that all my clothes were bundled under my arm. "Sabrina sensei, what happened?" asked a more respectful Jean.

"I just had a one night stand with a corporate spy," I remarked as I sat in the comfortable chair. "Corporate espionage is just part of the game in the world of security and defense." I clacked a stack of photo cards on the arm of the chair. "Don't worry. I took his memory. All of it." I added darkly.

"I see that you two are talking. Can I take it as a sign that you two will stop acting like little girls and that I can get a decent week of work from you?"

"Yes sensei," replied Jean.

"Good. Now Yuki, explain to Jean what I told you about me being out of uniform and off the clock. I'm taking a shower and going to bed. Good Night."

In the shower, I lathered up while hot water massaged my back. I stated to sing, "I'm gonna wash that man right out of my cu…," but was cut off.

A familiar, and powerful, thought entered my head, "Sabrina…"

I sighed at so many levels.

Mewtwo's thought changed to, "… is this a bad time?"

I chuckled. "That you are willing to ask such a question makes my whole evening worthwhile."

"Oh." There was a pause in his thoughts then, "I forgot my question."

"Then ask me another time. Goodnight."

Author's note: This story use of Mewtwo was inspired by WiseAbsol's cherry wine.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Lemon Warning: Taste of lemon, but still…

This a resubmission with grammar corrections.

Sabrina's Journal

Girls Night Out

I suppose I could have called this entry 'Ladies Night Out,' but it started out as a night out with Jean and Yuki. Yes they are my employees at the gym and they look up to me, but I enjoy them as friends. They represent all that I denied myself those many years ago: Youth and fun. True these two have their problems but who doesn't.

It was Friday night and we were going to celebrate Yuki and Jean moving into a new apartment. They didn't see the need to celebrate. From my point of view that they found an apartment that:

1. They can afford.

2. They can agree on.

3. Is out of the bad neighborhood,

I believe is worth celebrating. Also they are both out of my apartment. They weren't bad house guests, but I need my mental space. My Pokemon have learned how to how to close off their minds from mine, but I feel too defensive around other humans.

"I want to treat you two," I offered.

"Sabrina sensei, you've been treating us for almost a week," argued Jean, who despite pleas and threats continued to call me 'sensei'. "We should treat you."

"Let a guy have some pride," added Yuki.

We were standing in their new apartment. The collective furniture and appliances were finally arranged. Yuki with her boyish haircut was wearing slacks and a light shirt. I was still wearing my 'work clothes', the red jacket and skirt with the high boots and gloves. I should have worn a summer dress like Jean, but I didn't mind.

"Yuki, you're not a 'guy', you just play one at the gym," I corrected. The both gave me a stare so I relented, "Do you two have any place in mind?" Yuki and Jean shrugged their shoulders. "I know the perfect place. Each dish is one of a kind and the service is excellent."

"Okay!" exclaimed Yuki.

"Where?" asked the curious Jean.

"It's a surprise. Just follow me," I teased as I headed out the door. The other two followed. Once outside, we mounted our bicycles and headed towards downtown Saffron City. As I lead the way, Jean and Yuki conversed and I couldn't help but overhear.

"Why is it that the richest woman in Saffron City rides a bicycle?" asked Jean.

"Exercise," speculated Yuki. "She's been training since she was a toddler, why quit?"

"If I wasted my money on fancy cars, I wouldn't be rich," I joked.

"But isn't 'living the rich life' a material based activity?" continued Jean.

"Perhaps, but then you know what I spent my money on." This got both Jean and Yuki to blush. The very thought of Saffron City's tallest skyscraper housing the bulk of Kanto's sexual activity for my purposes could send chills down the spines of people. That's why very few do know. "I have other passions and pleasures."

"Like teasing," quipped Yuki.

I stopped my bicycle in front of the Saffron Palace Hotel: The most exclusive and elegant hotel of the city. Next to the front door was a separate entrance to the Restaurant de Saffron Palace: The most exclusive and elegant French restaurant in Kanto. "You two did say you were treating, right."

"Here?" stammered Yuki. "It would cost us two month's rent for an appetizer."

"It would take us three months to get a reservation," speculated Jean.

I got off my bicycle. The valet on the red carpet gave our group an odd stare.

"Maybe Sabrina can get us a table," suggested Yuki.

I beckoned the pair to follow me to the side of the building. I stood near the kitchen door and told them, "Open you minds."

They did. I cleared away the background thoughts of everyone except the kitchen staff: "Miserable saucier, who does he think is the head chef?" "Two more months and I'm out of here." "I could blow my nose in this stuff and people would think it's great." "The dishwasher boy looks good in white…"

"This is not my kind of restaurant," I stated. The other two nodded. I led the girls to the Yoshida Department Store. We parked our bicycles, entered the store and rode the elevator to the tenth floor. We wound our way through the shoppers to my favorite noodle shop.

"Psychic Noodles?" asked the Yuki.

"How can a noodle be psychic?" scoffed Jean.

The restaurant was small and a small group was waiting outside to get in. Jean and Yuki looked over the menu on the ticket machine. "Get three 'Customs'," I ordered. Yuki put in the order and money and got three tickets in return. We sat on the waiting bench. I didn't bother to screen out the background thoughts.

Yuki swallowed hard as the other customers savored every spoonful of soup. Jean's jaws were cramping as she could feel every bite. They closed their minds to the others and waited in a shallow trance. Shortly we were seated at the bar. "Sabrina, why didn't you call ahead? I could have reserved seats for you," exclaimed the chef.

"Sonny, if you did that it would cut into your business, and I want you to be very successful. Yuki, Jean, this is Sonny a former student at the gym and that is his Mr. Mime. Sonny, these are Yuki and Jean, teachers at the gym."

"Sabrina…," whispered Yuki, who was still nervous about protecting her secret identity.

"Don't worry Yuki, he's one of us," I assured her. "Three custom bowls please."

The Pokemon cook was waved over and the other patrons at the three sided bar watched. Sonny and Mr. Mime worked wordlessly together. Mr. Mime stretched and kneaded the noodle dough. Sonny set a sauce pan for each of us and mixed a custom broth. Both cooks used telekinesis to mix and measure. When the broths were simmering and the noodles boiling, the other patrons returned to eating until a completed bowl of soup was placed before each of us.

Yuki and Jean tasted a spoonful of broth. "This is the best ramen I have ever tasted!" exclaimed Jean as she melted away.

"Oh, wow!" moaned Yuki.

I sipped the rich curry base of my soup and felt transported away to an exotic land. Sonny gave a glass of beer to Yuki, white wine for Jean and Payapa flavored water for me. I raised my glass and said, "A toast to the best noodle chefs in Saffron!"

"Best noodle chefs in Kanto!" toasted Jean.

With one hand stuffing noodles into her mouth with chopsticks, Yuki added, "I can't stop eating."

The other patrons at the bar laughed and toasted Sonny and Mr. Mime.

Between slurps, Yuki asked, "Why didn't you tell us about this place sooner?"

Jean sipped the broth again and marveled, "What is in this?"

"Your soup is a miso and mushroom broth with a touch of cream. Yuki's is a bonito and beef broth with shaved ginger. Sabrina's soup is of course curry."

"He customizes eat soup based upon what he can read psychically," I explained.

"It's like the ramen I had back home," praised Yuki, "only better."

"I was going to say the same thing," added Jean.

"If you think your soup is good, open your minds again." They did and felt the passion, joy, hunger, anticipation, fulfillment and satisfaction of both the customers and the cooks.

"I'd want to eat here every day," praised Jean.

Yuki topped her with, "I'd want to eat here every meal!"

"I can't take you two anywhere without you falling all over yourselves," I joked.

"You took us?" questioned Jean.

"I paid," Yuki pointed out. "Since I paid, can I have a taste of yours?" I moved my bowl closer to Yuki, who spooned out some broth and sipped. "Wow!" she coughed. "Are you trying to get even with Sabrina?" she asked Sonny.

"Sabrina likes a challenge. I have never seen her sweat from my soup. I'm still trying to find the right combination that will make the mistress gush forth praise and sweat." Yuki continued to cough and sweat. "Jean's soup will help," suggested Sonny.

Jean passed her soup down for Yuki to try. After one sip Yuki sighed, "That did it."

"The ultimate comfort food," praised Jean.

"Mother's milk," I joked as I gave Sonny a wink. Sonny smiled and worked his magic for a new customer. "Doesn't it remind you of every caring and soothing thing your mother ever made?"

Jean and Yuki nodded and returned to their meals. When we finished, we thanked Sonny and Mr. Mime and left, filled. "It doesn't matter what we do next," exclaimed Yuki. "That soup made my week."

Jean smiled then looked at me. "Sabrina sensei, do you have regular clothes?"

I thought of my wardrobe: Pokemon Gym clothes, regular gym clothes, sexy policewoman costumes, dominatrix leather body suit and sexy school teacher clothes. "I guess not."

"Then let's go shopping," ordered Yuki, who was on the same wavelength as Jean. They dragged me to the escalator and down the five floors to women's wear.

"But I like my sweats," I protested as they made me pose with sundresses, skirts, shorts and a variety of pants that I forgot the name of. I relented and let them pick some slacks, three sundresses and shorts. Floor by floor, we worked our way down the store, building up my wardrobe.

Floor two was shoes and, "Boots!" I exclaimed. I leaped into the air, psychically kicked off my pair of boots and landed in a chair. The clerk blinked in amazement. "Measure me up and bring me some boots!"

"In the summer?" whined Jean.

"I have this one pair of boots with these stupid heels that I always trip over," I explained as I scanned the display. The clerk took my measurements and I pointed out various styles to try. I tried on the first pair and said, "How do I look?"

"Like a dominatrix," muttered the prim Jean.

"Really?" I examined my reflection in a convenient mirror as I tested the heels for balance. The black pliable leather came up to my thighs. "How does it stay so snug?"

"Spandex lining," explained the clerk.

"Does it come in dark green, red, white and dark purple?"

"We could custom order those colors," offered the clerk.

"Then I'll take two of each color I mentioned. You girls want to try on a …pair?" I remembered who I was asking. "Never mind. I've found what I want, anything else?"

"I was thinking these," suggested Jean as she held a pair of deck shoes, "to go with the sundress."

Yuki held up the sundress. I looked to the clerk. He smiled and nodded. "Fine, throw them in the bag," I surrendered. I tossed the clerk my credit card, "Better ring it up before they drag me through cosmetics." Jean opened her mouth but I said, "No." The clerk collected all the items that Yuki and Jean dragged through the store, including some items that I thought I put back on the racks.

After everything was bagged and bought, the clerk asked, "Would you like these items delivered?"

"I should make these two carry everything, but it's supposed to be their night out." I concentrated on my bedroom and the space between the bed and the closet. In my mind's eye I could see the bags arranged in neat rows and with a flash of psychic energy it was. "Now what?"

"Let's get some air," requested Yuki; the beer with her dinner was leaving a mental mark. We left the store and collected our bicycles. Yuki and Jean were a little shaky but I kept them from crashing.

I tried to direct them back to their apartment, but Jean squealed, "Karaoke!"

"Yeah!" cheered Yuki.

"I've never been in one of these before," I confessed.

We were off key, out of harmony and laughed as much as we sang. After two hours I had to drag home the other two as the designated, sober psychic. I hailed a cab big enough for us and the bikes. I held the two in check mentally. Jean wanted to stop at a shoe sale; Yuki at a bar and both wanted to stop at the strip club (Male revue). Normally the cabbie could deal with drunken women on a Friday night, but I had to stop them from seizing the wheel, stopping the engine or pushing the brakes telekinetically.

We arrived at their apartment. I tipped the cabbie heavily then dragged Yuki and Jean to their rooms. "No fair," whined Yuki.

"When's she's gone, let's get back to the strip club," conspired Jean.

"If you two were sober, I could take you shopping," I teased.

"Whee!" squealed Jean.

"What's the catch?" asked Yuki.

"That you're sober," I replied.

"Shopping! Shopping!" chanted Jean.

"That'll take a while," mused Yuki.

I gave them both my wicked smile. "Relax," I commanded in a voice that resonated in every cell of the listener. "Jean, you are going into a trance. Your body is getting hot. The evening is catching up to you. You need to use the toilet. Go."

Jean did as she was commanded. As she sat on the toilet I accelerated her bloodstream, liver, kidneys and dragged the rest of the alcohol out of her. She returned from the bathroom much less drunken. I commanded Yuki to do the same. In the end they both sat on the couch and blinked.

"What happened?" asked Yuki.

"Were we going shopping?" asked Jean.

"Of course, but I recommend you drink a big glass of water, before the hangovers hit."

We left the apartment on foot and walked down the quiet streets of Southside; past the little parks and nice houses to an all-night convenience store.

I led them inside and purchased bottles of water and juice. "Shopping, whee," remarked Yuki dejectedly.

I check my Poketch and led them back outside.

"Was that our shopping trip?" asked the confused Jean.

Around the corner we went, just past the recycling containers and onto a warp tile. "I thought I'd show my thanks for this evening by taking you two shopping." Yuki and Jean looked around. The three of us were in a small, windowless shop. There were racks of clothes and accessories.

"Is there anyone here?" called out Yuki.

"No. This store is self serve. Select your items, pay, and then leave via the warp tile. Here: each of you gets a gift card. I insist that you each buy something."

Jean was already looking through the racks of clothes. "What kind of store is this?"

"This is a wonderful store Jean. They have a wide selection of swimsuits, lingerie, underwear and costumes. Plus they have leather, silk, spandex, lace and latex." I pulled a French maid costume off the rack and said, "Great for when you clean around the new apartment."

"That's not funny," cried Jean.

"How about this sexy nurse costume for the gym?" suggested Yuki.

"Oh, yeah? How about this Ninetails bodysuit for you?" countered Jean.

"That would look good on Yuki," I commented. "Try it on. As for you Jean, I think that you need to see the lingerie racks."

"Why?"

"You have a great figure, but you wear such frumpy clothes. I know that you want to set a professional image for the students, but that doesn't mean you can't wear something sexy for yourself. Those white, silk stockings look really tempting."

"Well…," she replied as she looked over that part of the selection.

Yuki managed to get into the bodysuit. Her slim figure went well with the sleek lines of a Ninetails. "I told you."

Jean was midstride pulling up the stockings when she saw Yuki and agreed, "Yes that is definitely you."

Yuki asked, "But what am I going to wear it for?"

"Who cares? Just take it. Pick out a swimsuit too."

"Are you going to get anything Sabrina sensei?"

"She probably has a closet full of this stuff," joked Yuki.

"True," I admitted. "But I can always use some extra riding crops." They looked at me with wide eyes. "I put them down," I made a motion of jamming the riding crop handle first, "and forget to take them home." Yuki and Jean doubled over with laughter. I took a dozen riding crops from the display and paid. They stopped laughing and stared with their mouths open. "Is that all you two are getting?"

Yuki changed back to her regular clothes. They both gathered their things wordlessly and paid. We left via the warp tile as they started feeling ill. I handed them both a bottle of water and said, "Drink." They drank some water and rubbed the chilled bottles against their foreheads. "That's the second reason that psychics shouldn't drink."

The night was still stuffy as we walked back to their apartment. They picked this neighborhood for the more wholesome and simple thoughts that leaked out of the homes. My neighborhood was dominated by a sixty-nine monument to sex that required the latest in psychic shielding and practice to resist. The traces of alcohol and the beginnings of a hangover had an effect on their training. The heat and stuffiness of the place was amplified by everyone else who felt it. I shielded their minds until I got them to their apartment and turned up the air conditioner. "What do you want to do tomorrow?" I asked.

"Be sick," mentioned Yuki.

"We could have a vomit contest. Should we decide the winner based on volume, distance or noise?"

"Sensei that's not…" Jean ran to the bathroom and shouted the rest of her comment to the toilet. I soaked two towels in ice water and put one on Yuki's forehead. When green Jean returned, she got one as well.

"My grandmother has a great cure for this. Would you like to try it?" I offered.

"Sure," replied the desperate Yuki.

I took a deep breath and shouted, "That will teach you not to get drunk! You're a psychic show some discipline next time!"

They both clutched their ears as they hoped their skulls wouldn't shatter. "You've got a cruel grandmother," groaned Yuki.

"I note a family resemblance," muttered Jean.

"Also note that your headaches have lessened because your defensive training."

For the next day, I proposed a bike ride to Jean and Yuki. Jean insisted on taking a picnic lunch. Yuki wanted to go swimming. So we compromised. I mentioned that Espeon and I found a great spot, overlooking the ocean, where we could have a picnic, and I was sure we could find a place for Yuki to go swimming.

I left the distracted duo to nurse their headaches as I went home to keep tabs on my business interests. The next morning I slept a little longer and had a hearty breakfast. Afterwards, I had an hour left to meet them at their apartment in Southgate, the southern ward of Saffron City.

I opened my closet and found my favorite bike shorts and matching top. The flesh tone fabric was crisscrossed with a chaotic pattern of dark green stripes that looked like a Tangela's body. The form fitting fabric gave a hint of my figure and the few bits of flesh color gave the viewer a teasing glance at the real me. But that is the most I'd give: just a tease.

I put on the suit's copy. Espeon sensed me dressing and came in the room. As she tilted her head the side, I said, "Yes, I'm going for a bike ride. The girls want to go for a picnic and a swim. Could you find that picnic spot again and access to the beach."

"Espeon," she replied with a nod. Then she asked, "Es, espe?"

"I doubt that the other two are going to dress like I am. They want to relax and not train."

"Espeon," commented my Pokemon.

"Of course they have the potential. Yuki has been disguising herself for years and could easily do this. But she disguised herself out of necessity, so what she wants is a chance to take off the disguise."

Espeon flicked her tail and suggested, "Peon esp, Espeon."

"Okay, I'll take the sundress too."

Later, the three of us were riding out the city on one of the quieter streets. I noticed a young man adjusting the limited controls of a Sliph Scope. I raced past him and flashed him a V. He almost dropped his scope as his eyes popped out. I laughed as the three of us went around the bend.

"What's so funny?" asked Yuki.

"That poor boy we passed," I laughed. My mind touched his and I laughed some more, "He's going to spend the rest of the day with that Sliph Scope, trying to see through women's clothes."

"Can it do that?" asked Jean, who tried to cover herself while riding.

"No, but he believes it can."

"Why should he believe that?" asked Yuki.

"Can't you tell?" I countered.

She squinted at my bike suit. "If you blocked out the green, it looks like you're not wearing anything."

I smiled and laughed.

"You're a cruel woman sensei," giggled Jean.

"This isn't cruel. This is just a little service."

We headed toward Vermillion City, and then took the trails around the city to avoid the traffic. We passed local people from the villages and young trainers searching for Pokemon. "Can we get to the picnic spot from here, Espeon?"

Espeon searched with her Future Sight. She held her tail in the air to feel the winds of fortune. Finally she nodded and led us through the brush and up the hills. As we hiked, we used our telekinesis to push back the brush. Two hours later, we emerged on a grassy meadow overlooking the ocean. The cool, salty breeze rewarded us for our efforts.

As Jean set up our lunch, I put on the sundress for some sense of decency and insulation. We ate from the bento boxes, as we watched the clouds and the occasional Pokemon fly by. Our minds reflected the peace and solitude around us.

I didn't realize that time had passed until Yuki said, "Wake up. Let's go swimming." Jean had already put away the picnic fixtures and was ready to leave. I got up and let Espeon lead us down the hill, across route 13 then through the marsh. We emerged from the woods at a secluded lagoon. Espeon was waiting on the beach and twitching her tail as she felt the breeze.

I let my mind stretch out. Yuki's mind was on nothing but the ocean. Jean's mind was her usual conflict of simple worries. Espeon's mind was a bubble of calm. The only other minds I could find were the simple mind of sea life.

"Let's go swimming!" exclaimed Yuki as she peeled off her clothes.

"I can't swim," I replied.

"It's not that bad…"

"No, I mean that I do not know how to swim."

Yuki blinked. She was mid-stroke of pushing her shorts and underwear down. "You don't know how to swim?" she asked and couldn't believe that she said it. "You have a pool," she pointed out.

"It's four feet deep and I float on a pool lounge," I countered. "Don't wait for me. We're here so you can enjoy yourself."

"But…"

"Yes I can see your butt. Now get undressed and go swimming or I'll throw you in the ocean, clothes or no clothes."

Jean threw Yuki a bottle of sunscreen and added, "Don't forget your butt. It's hard to ride home on a sunburned rear."

"One condition: You get undressed too. I don't care if you go in to your knees or make sandcastles. If I get to play like a three-year old then so will you."

I nodded then undressed as per our agreement. I watched how Yuki splashed about in the surf and laughing with joy of feeling the ocean. "I could teach you how to swim," she called out.

I finished peeling off my sundress and putting it in my bicycle's basket, so I walked past Jean, who was still changing into her swimsuit, out to Yuki. When I reached the edge of the surf, Yuki was floating on her back and riding up and down the gentle waves of the lagoon. I walked until the water was up to my knees. Yuki paddled closer and asked, "Did you come for a lesson? I'm told I'm a good teacher."

I smiled and lifted my right foot and placed it on top of the water. I brought my left foot up then walked over to a wide-eyed Yuki. "You must be an amazing teacher, just look at me," I said with a wink. "But we're here to play three year olds," I said suggestively.

"What do you call that then?" she asked as she treaded water.

"I could do this at three. I'm just here so you look the part."

"What are you doing?" asked Yuki when she noticed the spike in my psychic output.

"Don't thrash about or it will hurt," I warned.

"Ouch!"

"I told you so."

"What are you doing down _there_?"

"Doing: nothing; done." I walked back to the beach and Yuki swam after me. When she could, she stood up and looked at my handiwork. "I'm reasonably certain that you didn't have pubic or underarm hair when you were three. Enjoy your swim. I think I'll make a sandcastle."

"Use your hands!" ordered Yuki as she threw herself backwards into the surf.

Jean had finally changed into her new, white, side-tie bikini, coated herself in sun block and was marching to the surf. "Don't cheat and use telekinesis," she warned.

"Fine," I replied. "Jean, we're playing three year olds so, all for one." I stare at her swimsuit.

"What's the point of buying a new bikini if I don't wear it?" asked Jean with her fists on her hips.

"What's the point of wearing a bikini if there's no one to watch?" I asked.

"You two can."

"We don't count."

"Why not?"

"Good point. Okay, 'mom', you can be the respectable mother hen, and we'll be the three year olds."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

Yuki's thoughts came in and teased, "We understand: You've gotten to the age where fun is being able to chew your food."

"I'm not old. I'm only a year older than Sabrina!"

"Scary," I replied. "Does that mean I'll be like her next year?"

"I'm afraid so," added Yuki.

"Then I'd better get all the fun I can."

"Fine!" Jean tried to untie her bikini, but the bows got tangled and knotted. In her frustration, she peeled it off less dramatically than she hoped. "There, now let's see you make a sand castle. I'm going swimming." Jean walked out into the surf and swam in the lagoon.

So I did. I used my hands to make a mound of sand. Scoop after scoop, I learned a little more about the physics of sand structures. "How do I make it stick?"

Yuki was beyond the limits of my voice, but I asked, and she answered, psychically. "Get the sand wet."

"Thank you." I moved to the surf zone and piled up a double handful of wet sand that oozed through my fingers. "What is the ideal sand to water ratio," I asked.

"You're not supposed to know that at three. You're supposed to experiment."

"With what?"

"Bucket and shovel," replied Yuki. I could see in her mind many images of sandcastles, buckets of sand and a favorite shovel.

"I don't have that," I argued.

"Use the empty bento box. Fill with wet sand. Place upside-down and allow the excess water to drain. Remove form and repeat."

I went to the picnic basket next to Espeon, took out and cleaned the bento box. I returned to the surf zone and noted when the sand gave my feet the most resistance. There I scooped with my hands and filled the bento box. After turning the box over and removing the form, I was left with my first, albeit short, square and featureless, sandcastle. "Success," I mentally stated for all to know.

"Good for you," replied Yuki.

I searched the horizon and asked, "Where are you?"

"Over here!" she called back.

"That gives me a direction. How far out are you?"  
"Abou… … ..ile," was her broken transmission.

"Yuki, repeat that!"

"Sa…a, I'm losi…"

I teleported myself a mile out to sea in Yuki's direction. "Yuki!" I called out. My feet sank into the water as I lost my focus.

"Sabrina! What are you… …ng?"

"Espeon! Help me find Yuki!"

Espeon used her Future Sight. I orientated myself to Espeon's vision and teleported. I landed hard on the waves and desperately searched for Yuki. I heard Yuki's real voice, "Sabrina, what's going on?"

I dashed towards her and dived. When I grabbed her, I teleported us back to Espeon's location. I was on my hands and knees as I gasped and spat out sea water. I tried to focus my body on recovery. My breathing slowed. I opened my eyes. Yuki's face was inches away from mine and she was looking into my eyes. My breathing was deep and steady, but I couldn't slow my heart. The danger was past and the adrenaline levels should be dropping, but I was feeling flushed.

Yuki was blushing. As my breathing slowed, hers grew quicker. Her heart sped up to my rate. My arms wanted to let me fall. It felt as if gravity was pulling my lips to hers.

"Is everything okay?" came Jean's thoughts.

"Jean!" I exclaimed. "Espeon, give me Jean's location!"

My faithful guardian projected an image of Jean's location relative to mine. I teleported to Jean's location, grabbed her and teleported back to the beach.

Yuki asked, "What was all that about?"

I untangled myself from Jean and replied, "Sharpedo."

"Here?"

"Black dorsal fin, lots of teeth, immune to psychics," I listed.

"That's a Sharpedo," agreed the nonplussed Yuki.

"I knew it had to be a dark type getting between us. It explained the interference with our link."

"And why we didn't sense it," added Yuki with a nod.

"You seem rather calm about it," I observed.

"Sharpedo never bothered me before."

"Well, I'm not comfortable with dark types."

"You like being in control," teased Yuki. "You can't stand it if you don't know all the answers."

"Yes." My remark caught her off guard. "I'm not going to deny it."

"It's no fun to tease if you don't resist."

I stood and noticed that the sand had stuck to my body. "I spend all that time trying to get the sand to stick; now I want it off."

"Relax for a while. When it dries, it'll brush off."

"Espeon," announced my Pokemon.

"We're going to have company: Fisherman, looking for Sharpedo, this lagoon."

"Is he cute?" asked Jean.

"He's underage," I stated.

"Aw."

"Take her clothes off and she becomes an animal," growled Yuki.

"We could leave," I suggested.

"I don't feel like swimming," stated Jean.

"Fine, spoil my fun," grumped Yuki.

"Fun?"

Yuki pointed out, "I don't have a problem with Sharpedo."

"Of course not; you're on land and have all your limbs intact."

Jean and Yuki could then hear the boats engine.

"Hide now, change later."

We gathered our bikes and clothes and left the beach for the cover of the brush. When we couldn't see the surf, Yuki and Jean stopped and dressed. I went through the motions of putting on my bike clothes. We followed Espeon back to route 13. Once on the road, Espeon got in her basket and we biked for home.

We approached a snack stand on route 12. "Sensei?" whined Jean. I already sensed the trouble. At the snack stand were six men and their motorcycles. They were laughing, drinking and leering at us. The back of their jackets said, "Hound-vrooms," with a Houndoom logo. The leader's Houndoom was leering as well.

I parked my bicycle and put on the sundress. "If you ladies are tired, you can ride with us," one of them offered.

"Yeah! Sit on my lap baby and I'll take you for a ride," stated one of the cronies.

I laughed and pointed out, "You're too fat to have a lap. Besides, why would I want to ride on your slow noisemakers?"

"Sensei, don't antagonize them," silently advised Jean. Jean and Yuki stayed with the bicycles and looked ready to run.

I bought some drinks and snacks from the vending machines, while some of the bikers were laughing at the fat comment.

"What do you mean, 'slow noisemaker'?" retorted the leader who looked a lot like Lt. Surge.

I handed the snacks to the nervously waiting Jean and Yuki. "Isn't what those machines are designed for? Make a lot of noise so people will notice you. Go real slow so people will smell you?" In his mind I saw that 'Dog' had spent hours creating his cycle from parts and installed the strongest motor he could afford. I pointed across the tide flats to the gate house at the end of route 12 and the entrance to Lavender Town. "Want to race?" Everyone did a double take at my question. "'Dog' on his 'hog' verses me and my bike."

The joker of the bikers wanted to say, "Dike on a bike," but I made him choke on his drink.

"I'll make it more interesting: Loser walks. If I win, I get your bike. If you win, you get my bike."

"No deal. I don't want some sissy, trail-mix bike with a basket on the handles. My bike is worth a hundred times that bike."

"If you win, I'll pay you the value of your bike," I offered as I got in Dog's face.

"Will that be cash or service?" asked Joker as he tried to lift my dress. I stepped on his boot and psychically crushed his toe. To his credit, Joker only winced and didn't cry out.

"That's up to Dog, not you." I bent over at the waist so Dog can look down my dress. "Well, are you man enough to race?"

"I'll race ya. I'll beat ya, just to watch you walk home."

"Good boy, Dog."

Yuki's thoughts were screaming at me, "Sabrina, what are you doing?"

"Espeon, go with Yuki and Jean," I said out loud. Into their minds, I projected, "Stay together and stick close to Espeon. I can handle myself if it gets ugly."

"They are ugly," mentally noted Jean.

I strapped on my helmet and surveyed the route. This section of Route 12 followed the curve of the bay around a great field of mud, now that the tide had gone out. I felt the breeze play with the sundress and do what the other bikers hoped they could.

"Can we get in on this bet?" asked Joker.

"Are you betting your bike against my butt?"

"Unless you got the money, honey."

"I've got enough money and honey to cover all your bets." I crouched over my handlebars at the starting line. The bikers revved their engines behind me. Espeon stood at the starting line with her tail waving in the air. She dropped her tail and I set off down the wooden causeway. The bikers followed running their bikes as loud and slow as possible. I knew that the bottom of my dress was flapping in the breeze and they were getting a good show.

The causeway made its labyrinthine way on the left bank. Between me and the goal were some young Pokemon trainers up to their knees in mud. I peddled faster and went right off the pier. I cushioned my landing with telekinesis then pedaled as fast I could for the goal. Behind me I heard two bikes follow with a loud splash and cursing. I pushed the bike forward and above the mud with every ounce of mental and physical strength I had. My sunglasses were splattered with mud. I squinted my eyes and looked over the spray of salty mud. Halfway to the goal, I heard a crash as another biker slipped off the causeway and into the mud. Three were left weaving through wooden switchbacks and avoiding the dead end fishing spots. I spared a little mental energy to feel their thoughts which were solely on driving their bikes. I shut them out. I shut everything out except willing my bike over the mud as fast as possible.

Yuki's thought projection barely maked it past my focus: "You're almost there! You're in the lead!"

I saw my goal and my exit. I swerved to the left and went up a moss covered rock. I lifted myself up and forward. The spray of mud was gone. I could hear the roar of a motorcycle. I lifted myself too high and skidded across the roof. My bicycle crashed into the window.

As the motorcycle got closer, a concerned citizen came out of the building, saw me and then ran inside screaming, "Muk!"

Dog arrived. His two remaining bikers would soon be there, followed by Yuki and Jean.

I wished I had the strength to gloat as I said, "I won." I tried to crawl off the roof, but the mud was sticky and a roof tile came with me. "Pay up."

He parked the bike, turned it off and threw me the key. The other two bikers arrived. One of them asked, "What are you doin' Dog?"

"She won," he stated flatly, "I don't know how, but she won."

The local policeman stationed to the gatehouse stumbled out the door. He was as old as the rest of us put together. "What's all this then?" he demanded. "Is that your Muk?"

"I'm a woman covered in mud and I'm stuck on the roof."

"Did these 'men' do this to you?"

"No officer. I'm afraid to say that I did this to myself. We we're settling a bet. I believe I won."

"Oh ho?" he replied as he adjusted his spectacles. "We're you racing?"

The bikers were getting nervous. Yuki, Jean and Espeon arrived. "Officer, what person in their right mind would race a bicycle against a motorcycle?"

"Good point. So how did you get up there?"

"I was biking across the mud flat. I hit a rock and flew up here. I'm sorry about the window and will pay for a new one."

"You look like you were crawling across the mud flat."

"I didn't think it was that sticky. Do you have a ladder and a hose?"

"Sensei?" asked Jean's thoughts through the ringing in my head.

"I'm tired, but okay," I replied in my mind.

The old officer chuckled to himself as he went inside. He soon returned with a ladder. After I was helped down, he showed me the faucet and hose. "Normally we use the ladder and hose for the trainers who get stuck in the mud flats. I'm going to enjoy writing this in my log book."

Jean hosed off the mud, while Yuki and Espeon kept an eye on the bikers. The hose worked off the biggest clumps of debris but the dress was stained and smelled of a fish market. "Sensei," whispered Jean, "why aren't you wearing anything under the dress?"

I didn't have the strength to lie, so I shrugged. After I washed my face with the cold water, I could feel my strength return. I didn't care that the wet dress clung to my skin and revealed what the bikers lost and lost to. "You guys can keep the three bikes in the mud. I'll just take these three."

I held out my hand with Dog's key.

The other two were defiant.

The old policeman was watching the scene. I pushed whatever fear buttons I could in the biker's minds. When they handed over their keys, I added, "Don't worry boys; I'll give you a chance to buy the bikes back. Money or service: your choice." I pulled my sunglasses down and gave them a wink.

I took the remains of Espeon's basket off of my bike and put it on the chopper. Espeon lightly hopped into her seat. I tossed Jean and Yuki each a key. "Store your bikes here; we're riding home in style." Jean and Yuki took their bikes to the bike lockers.

"Sensei, I don't know how to ride a bike," worried Jean as she was out of sight.

"I do," chimed in Yuki's thoughts.

"We'll link up with Yuki's thoughts and do this nice and easy."

"Okay," replied a slightly less nervous Jean.

Under Yuki's mental guidance, Jean and I started up the motorcycles. As we revved the motors, a stray thought crossed my mind. I held out my hand to Dog and said, "Papers. I doubt that you would be a sore loser and claim that some woman stole your bike. But those two aren't as loyal as you are; are they Dog?"

Dog chuckled and took his bike's title out of his vest. He indicated to the other two to do the same. "How am I going to find my bike, and you?" he asked.

I ripped off the right sleeve of my dress and said, "Follow the trail, Dog." With that we rode off to Lavender Town. Out of sight of the gatehouse I called out to the other two. "I need a break."

"There's a convince store," declared Yuki.

Espeon kept the bike steady until I stopped and put down the kickstand. Yuki ran into the store, while Jean helped me to the bench. "Sensei, what's wrong?"

"I've never pushed myself so hard and so long in a day," I mumbled as I shivered.

Yuki returned with food, water and an emergency blanket. "Espeon," offered my Pokemon.

"Morning Sun isn't going to do much with the sun going down," I countered.

Jean released her Pokemon and ordered, "Misdreavus, use Pain Split."

"If we do this more often, one us needs to bring a healer," I joked.

"Shush!" ordered Jean. "I am the healer, so lay still."

So I laid still.

I opened my eyes. My head was in Yuki's lap, who was asleep. Jean was nearby and whispered, "Feeling better?"

"Yes. Let's go home. Yuki, wake up."

"Hmm?"

"Time to take Sabrina home," announced Jean. "You're going to insist on riding that pig back home," she scolded.

"It's called a hog and yes. 'To the victor, go the spoils.'" I looked for my bike helmet.

"I thought you would, so I bought you this," replied Jean as she handed me a proper motorcycle helmet.

"Thanks, mom."

"Oh don't start that," grumped Yuki.

"I'm sorry you guys," I replied. I put the helmet on and the other two laughed. I looked down at the mud stained dress and shrugged. The other two put on new helmets and started their engines. I started my bike and turned back towards the gate house.

"Sensei, we need to go this way."

"I know that, but Dog doesn't."

I rode back to a sign post indicating the direction to Saffron City. I ripped off the other sleeve of my dress, and telekinetically tied it to the sign.

"Are you really going to lead Dog all the way to Saffron City?" asked Yuki.

"Oh, I'm just playing fetch," I quipped. I wheeled the bike back to home. "How do I make this thing do wheelies?"

"Not in your condition," replied Yuki.

On the easy ride back home, Yuki gave us a quick course in riding, turning and stopping. As we neared the city, Jean asked, "Where are we going to park these things?"

"Sabrina's got room, I bet."

"This thing won't fit in the elevator, and I don't have the strength to teleport."

"Don't you have a warehouse or a parking garage?"

"Maybe I do," I replied. We rode the bikes to Saffron Tower. We went around the building until we found the entrance to the parking garage. I used my Poketch to get the bikes past the gate and we parked them. Jean and Yuki had to help me to the elevator and to my apartment.

I was met at the door my Gardevoir. Espeon relayed the day's events to her as she helped me to the bath. Once in the tub, I blacked out.

"Geng?"

"Too tired to play…"

…

I awoke in my bed. Yuki was dozing in a nearby chair. She opened her eyes and saw mine. "You're making a habit of this," I joked.

"A habit of what?"

"Watching me sleep," I replied. "If I didn't know better, I would think that you're trying to get in bed with me."

Yuki blushed as she whined, "That's a mean thing to say Sabrina."

I didn't ask her if it was true. It was once. "I smell rice." I pulled off the covers.

"Do you want to eat in bed?"

"I want to walk on my own two feet," I replied to her almost romantic suggestion. I staggered my naked shell into the kitchen. Gardevoir served me tea and rice. Yuki woke Jean off the couch.

"I'm glad to see that you're better, sensei."

"Thank you, Jean. Thanks to all of you for getting me home."

"Um, sensei, we couldn't find your bicycle shorts and top. Where did you leave them?"

I laughed.

"Are you okay?"

Gengar appeared on the kitchen counter holding the green clothes and chuckling. I interpreted the punch line, "They were in the closet the whole time."

"I don't get it," replied Yuki.

"Yuki, you of all people should get the joke."

"Why?"

"What did you do when you had to go home wearing only a bathrobe?"

Yuki stared out to the garden as she recalled, "I projected an image…of a winter coat." Yuki spied my pool float. "You were naked the whole time?"

"Except when I wore the sundress," I corrected. "Thanks to Espeon and her Future Sight, I took along something to wear. That's why I was exhausted: I had to project a mental illusion that I was clothed the whole time."

"Does that mean the boy with the Sliph Scope saw?" gasped Jean.

"After breakfast, I think I'll take a ride," I declared with a smile.

That would have been a good punch line to end this entry, but Yuki insisted that I get proper motorcycle lessons, clothing, and license. Jean insisted that I was in no condition to ride and the bikers would be looking for it. Gengar wanted to ride, but Gardevoir scolded him. So I settled for floating in the pool on the SS Godiva.

While I floated in the pool, I hatched a plan. I called down to the gym. Ivan answered, "I'm sorry but the gym is closed today. The Great Sabrina deserves some time off."

"That's nice of you to say Ivan Petrovich Geller."

"Mistress Sabrina!" he exclaimed in surprise.

"Stop bowing to the phone and go to the Pokeball storage room." I'd have made him an instructor if he had a backbone. Then again, Jean showed more progress in telekinesis than he did eight years ago. If Ivan wants to rise up, he'll have to do it on his own.

"I'm in the Pokeball room gre…"

I cut him off, "Release Natu and put him on the phone."

"Nat?" asked the little bird.

"I need you to be my eyes for a while, can you do that?"

"Natu," agreed the little one.

"Thank you. Fly out to Eastgate and watch the road." The little one Teleported outside and projected to me his thoughts. "Thank you Ivan, you can hang up now."

"Thank you Great Sabrina…"

Click.

I laughed to myself as I said out loud, "Maybe Yuri can teach him how to grow a pair."

"Gengar," offered my Pokemon as he removed his pair with a loud dry pop.

"I'm not giving Ivan your balls. He's got to learn to work with what he has. He's spent a decade hoping I'd notice him, and I've never liked what I saw." Gengar put his balls back and massaged them. "You want to be alone?" Gengar shook his head. "If they come off so easily, then I don't want to touch them." Gengar moped since he was caught in his own joke.

I let my mind synchronize with Natu's. I felt the air over his wings and watched the scurrying of people in their morning routines. I lost myself in the sheer joy of flying. I saw the secret world of the tree tops and the hidden nooks on rooftops. I listened to the everyday sounds of children playing, breakfast cooking and phones ringing.

The phone was ringing.

I snapped out of my trance and answered the phone. "Hello?"

"I'm sorry to disturb you Great Sabrina, but there is a strange man outside the gym."

"Oh? Hold on." I directed Natu to teleport back to the gym. When he flew past the entrance he saw Dog fixing my bicycle. "It's okay Ivan. He's a mechanic and he's fixing my bicycle. I took a spill yesterday."

"Great Sabrina, is there anything you need?"

I sloshed the pool water and said, "I need a massage. When he finishes with the bike take it inside and store it for me. I'll take care of the mechanic." After a pause I asked, "Are you still there Ivan?"

"Yeth Mithdreth," he replied.

"Were you thinking dirty thoughts and did your nose bleed?"

"No Great Sabrina."

"Good." I hung up the phone and watched Dog through Natu's eyes. Dog was sitting on the curb, with a small toolbox by his side. The bicycle was upside down and he was truing the wheels, one spoke at a time.

Dog saw Natu watching him. "Hello." Natu hopped closer and looked into the box. The tools inside were shiny and smelled used but clean. "Could you hand me the adjustable wrench?"

Natu cocked his head to the side and looked into the box. I mentally noted which wrench Dog wanted. Natu took out the wrench and hopped over to the mechanic. Dog took the wrench and said, "Thank you." Natu spied two Pokeballs on his belt and hopped closer. "Those two are my Magneton and Houndoom. It seemed best not to brandish a dark Pokemon in front of the famous Saffron City Gym, eh Sabrina?"

Natu nodded and hopped up on Dog's shoulder.

"I could say that you're awfully trusting, if I wasn't sitting where I was."

I instructed Natu to nibble lightly on Dog's ear. "Does this count as paying off my debt with service?" Natu flew up to the ledge and waited until Dog said, "Finished." Natu flew down to the front door. Dog took the bike inside to the waiting Ivan. Natu led Dog outside and to the nearby Pokemon Center. Dog checked in his Pokemon. With his Pokemon in Nurse Joy's care, Dog returned to the front of the Pokemon center and asked Natu, "Where now?" Natu hopped up onto Dog's head and looked over the scene from a human's height. By pecking on Dog's head, we directed him to the gaudy, but discrete entrance to Fantasy Castle Love Hotel. "Do I get an audience with the Queen?"

"I usually go by the title of, 'Empress', but yes. Just step on the platform," I instructed over the speaker system. Dog did and was transported to the Royal Garden Room. The walls were faux stone on three sides and the third was a projection of further gardens. In the center was a reflecting pool that I was using as a hot tub. "You've had a long trip. Go get washed up and then we can negotiate your payment plan." Natu hopped off and perched in the maple.

Dog put his tools down by the entrance pad and found the bathroom. Twenty minutes later he emerged shiny, smelling of soap and wearing a light kimono. "Will this do Empress?"

"That will do."

"How else may I serve you Empress?" he asked in flat tones.

"You can start by telling me your real name and why you look like Lt. Surge."

His real name was Douglas, or Doug, and he was the younger brother of Lt. Surge. When his brother served in the military and led men, Doug served as a mechanic. Since leaving the service, Doug has been a drifter and biker.

"Would you like to soak in the tub and rest?"

"No ma'am, I'd rather stand. Unless this action would consist of service to be used in barter for the return of our bikes."

I stepped out of the tub and let the water drip off my naked body. As I strolled in the small garden, I mentioned, "I was like you once."

"I doubt that Empress."

"Pride, Douglas. Your brother has so much of it that it makes him arrogant and a bore. You have so much of it that it makes you cold and stubborn. I had so much of it that it made me cold, aloof, domineering and destructive."

"'…had…,' ma'am?"

"Good point. But I'd like to think that now I'm hot and inviting."

"I couldn't say ma'am."

"Since you like punishing yourself, I've got a treat for you: you're going to take me shopping."

"Shopping ma'am?"

"I've been told that I need the proper clothes to ride a motorcycle."

"Yes ma'am."

I walked up to him and handed him the key to his bike, then said, "You drive." I teleported us to the parking garage. Gardevoir and Gengar appeared with Doug's somewhat cleaner clothes and toolbox. I took my helmet off the back of his bike and put it on.

"Ma'am, are you going to go out like that?"

I pulled the kimono off of Doug, wrapped myself in it, and then sat on the bike. He could easily see the bottom of my kimono was open, but he didn't react. He put on his clothes without a word or reaction. He mounted the bike and took us to a local store that catered to the motorcycle crowd.

"Dog!" shouted the older man behind the counter. Douglas waved to the man and pointed me to the selection of bike suits. I made sure that the old man paid attention to Douglas and not me. I picked out a gold and black suit with a generous amount of safety and cosmetic padding. I paid using my cash card and waited by Douglas' bike.

I left the suit partially unzipped and asked, "How do I look?"

"It'll do, ma'am. Now what?"

"Drive. I don't care where, just drive," I replied as I got on. So he drove to the Pokemon Center to collect his Pokemon and then he rode toward Vermillion City. I held him tightly from behind. I listened to his surface thoughts, they were on the road, the sound of the engine and the clouds that floated by. There were fleeting images of Yuki's and Jean's bikes, but they were lost amid the clouds of his mind.

When I opened my eyes I saw the back roads of Vermillion City's light industrial district. Douglas stopped at a small bike garage where the other members of his gang were working on their bikes. Joker wanted to be the first to speak, but Douglas cut him off with, "Shut it."

Where Douglas' mind was a cloud, the other's minds were clearly on Dog. They respected, envied and even pitied him. He fetched a small trailer from the garage and attached it to his bike, and then we rode off.

"Douglas, stop at your brother's gym."

"Yes ma'am."

Douglas idled in front of the gym. While the engine roared, I called to Surge's mind to come out and look. When he exited the front door, he saw me without the helmet and the bike suit zipped as far down as was possibly decent. I stuck out my tongue and pulled at my eye as Douglas sped away. I called to the gym leader's mind, "Bye Sergio."

Surge's jaw dropped so low that he tripped over it.

At long last, Douglas laughed, if only a little. "Why did you do that ma'am?"

"I won't tell unless you call me Sabrina."

"…Sabrina?"

"I did it to make you laugh. I also did it because your brother is a jerk."

"He's not that bad."

"He needs to learn when to back off and let a woman have her space."

We didn't say anything until we reached the gatehouse on route 12. I collected the bikes and Douglas secured them on the trailer. "I wish you could relax."

"Sorry ma… Sabrina."

"Is it because I'm psychic?"

"…"

"You have secrets that you must keep. I understand and I don't want you to compromise them."

"With all respect, but you don't understand."

"Douglas, when you served you were more than a mechanic. The mental discipline you have is displayed by Special Forces, trained psychics, and intelligence agents. As I said, you have secrets to keep. You can't be free in your thoughts when I'm around. With your level of training I'd assume that you are never free in your own mind, unless you're riding."

"I…"

"Maybe one day your secrets won't need to be kept, until that happens I'll leave you alone. If you take me home, I'll trade you bikes."

He nodded yes, so we rode along the path I took yesterday. This time I enjoyed the clouds, scenery and the winding road through the hills. Douglas found his way back to Saffron Tower's parking garage. He swapped the bikes and prepared to leave.

"Douglas, I hope you get a chance to be happy," I said before I gave him a kiss on the cheek. "If what I think is true, then I can't thank you enough for your service."

"Thank you, Sabrina."

"If instead you are just really, _really_ good at playing hard to get, then I'm going to break you and sex you up till you can't walk."

Dog kicked his engine over. As he idled the engine, he said, "You could do that, but I think you appreciate a challenge." He revved up the motor and slipped away.

Author's note: I don't know if the psychic wearing the allergy mask in the anime had a name, so I decided to name him after Ivan Petrovich Pavlov. Notice how he drooled when the phone rang?


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Lemon Warning: Taste of lemon, but still…

Reason for resubmission: The most likely baseball team for Goldenrod is the Electabuzz, according to Bulbapedia. I'll assume that their soccer team is Furrets.

Sabrina's Journal

Party Crashers

It was a Wednesday. Nothing important is supposed to happen on a Wednesday. Correction: Nothing catastrophic is supposed to happen on a Wednesday. The students at the gym had their lessons. Arthur, from Goldenrod City, had a gym battle. His Girafarig won the first round against my Drowzee. I decided to test his mettle in a power match against Kadabra.

I called out, "Kadabra, use Hidden…"

"Alert! Alert! Alert!" blared my Poketch. "Emergency!"

"Time out?" I slapped off the alarm. Saffron Tower was having an emergency, and the reports sent to my Poketch didn't make sense. "I'm sorry, but I have to take care of this." As I teleported away, I saw the stunned looks on Arthur and Yuri, who was acting as judge.

I materialized in my control room. After silencing the alarms, I tried to make sense of the readings. Ground zero was a 'Playhouse' room on floor 34. The shielding and dampers were failing from the pressure of the psychic/sexual energy. The interfloor systems between floor 34 and 35 were critical. The room above on floor 35 was empty, so I teleported to the floor and raced into the room.

In the several years since I made Saffron Tower _the_ love hotel of Kanto, I had never experienced this intensity of sexual energy. I slammed the door behind me, sat on the floor, and focused my powers on containing the maelstrom. I reached my senses through the floor; there I found two beings using the room as it was marketed, but not as I intended. The couple was in a psychic feedback loop: one person's pleasure was broadcasted to the other, which was amplified and sent back.

My mind drifted away. My skin was hot, cold and tingly. My muscles were both tense and relaxed. I felt parched, yet drooled. One moment of pure physical bliss was stretched to infinity.

The rapture was interrupted by, "Sabrina, have you thought about my questions?"

I could barely manage to moan, "Uhh?"

"Is this a bad time again?"

"This is a wonderful time…"

"Sabrina?" the thought was tiny and distant. "Sabrina?" came the thought again, but stronger. "Do you need assistance?" was the last thought before everything got worse. A damper above my head exploded and shocked me awake. The cause was Mewtwo teleporting through it and into the room. Mewtwo reacted by using Protect which reflected an extra wave of psychic energy towards me. The defensive systems in the ceiling reacted and reflect more energy back into the room. I remember fainting.

"SABRINA?" My body was being shaken and someone was speaking my name. I opened my eyes and saw Mewtwo holding me. I saw into his deep, sad, purple eyes. They reflected such loneliness, longing and pent-up desire. Eyes like the ones that stare at me from my mirror. I lost myself in those eyes. I wanted to do everything to make us both feel alive, loved, happy and fulfilled.

Everything was a white cloud of bliss.

"Sabrina?" Again someone wanted to take me away from this. "Sabrina?"

That's not right. The voice said "Sabrina?" which shock, jealousy and shame.

I reached my mind out to the voice. I touched the mind of Yuri. "Say it like this, 'Yuki'. Say it with warmth and passion. Say it with needing and the promise of bliss. There's enough for all."

"STOP!" The thought had such power and command, that all thoughts retreated to the little burrow that fear carved out of our minds millions of years ago. My arms were wrapped around Yuki and our lips were pressed together. I couldn't see my clothes. I was sitting on something warm and lumpy. I'm certain that there was something inside me. Before I could untangle myself, the floor gave way and I fell.

"Um, excuse me. Are you alright?" asked an unfamiliar voice. I blinked. The grey cloud of pulverized concrete obscured my vision. Whatever, or whoever, that was inside me left. Yuki freed herself from my grasp and grabbed hold of the floor above. "Do you need medical attention?"

"I'll let you know in a moment," I replied. I flexed everything and all seemed in order. "Mewtwo," I asked telepathically, "are you unharmed?"

"Just shaken," replied the psychic allegedly stronger than me.

The dust was settling. Yuki's legs flailed about as she tried to pull herself out of the hole and back into the room above. I had no idea what happened to her clothes. I psychically pushed her up to safety.

"What's going on?" she called down.

"I intend to find out," I declared. To the voice offering me assistance earlier I asked, "What have you done to this place? Did you paint the walls?"

"Um, who are you?"

"I own this building," I declared. I put my fists on my hips as I stood up straight. I sniffed. "That's not paint."

"We would have cleaned up before we left," offered the middle-aged woman. She was attractive, fit and had long, brown hair. Her body was coated with same white fluid and concrete powder mixture that coated the walls.

Flop! My jacket landed on my head. "Sorry," apologized Yuki.

"I'd like to leave now," stated Mewtwo. My Poketch wasn't on my wrist. Some bits of it were under my feet, the rest, I had to assume, was under the concrete.

"Please take the elevator, so we don't break anything else," I whined. "Gengar!" I mentally called out. "Bring me a fresh Poketch." The other mind that was in the room was missing. "Did your friend Teleport away?"

The woman smiled sheepishly and held a Pokeball.

"Is it a Psychic Pokemon?"

She nodded yes.

"Can you tell me your name?"

"Miss Kay."

"Thank you. Now once I get a new Poketch, I can unlock the door and we can get this all sorted out. Ah, speak of the devil." Gengar phased through the floor as he had done countless times before. But never through that piece of floor after all that happened, so the fire sprinkler went off. I took the fresh Poketch from Gengar, then shut off the alarms, apologized to the guests, offered to give a partial refund, called security and housekeeping and overrode the alarms on the door to this room and the one above. "If you'll follow me, we can go somewhere and work this out." I led Miss Kay and Mewtwo out of the room.

I took one last look at the destruction and noticed that the fire sprinklers had washed a great deal of slime off the walls. The room was intended to be a small house with garden in a pastoral setting. Now some of the white 'clouds' were being washed down the painted skies. In the center of the sky was a hole with Yuki looking down. I motioned for her to leave the room as I did the same.

We packed into the elevator, rode up and collected Yuki and Espeon. That explained who let Yuki past security. At the top floor, I let everyone into my apartment. I directed Miss Kay to the bathroom to get clean. I led Mewtwo out to the garden. I kissed him on the cheek and said, "Thank you."

"Why?"

"You came to help me."

"I destroyed your technology," he pointed out.

"It was worth it," I replied coyly. I gave him another kiss on his lips. "Call me. Maybe we can go somewhere and talk…philosophy."

Mewtwo silently lifted off and sped away into the sunset.

I could feel Yuki watching me. I could feel her sadness and jealousy. "Sabrina…," she started.

I moved suddenly close to her. "Shh," I replied. I remember kissing Yuki. I felt like I needed to comfort and love her. All my inhibitions were gone, as was my discipline and defenses. Yuki was the same. We were consumed by lust and love alike. Nothing else mattered as we lost track of time in the garden.

We rolled in the grass, making love until Jean interrupted us, "Sensei! Yuki!"

I freed my mouth from Yuki's to say, "Join us."

"I know you have a thing for Sabrina," teased Yuki.

"We can strap something on Yuki and pretend she's Yuri," I offered.

Yuki and I got off the ground. Hand in hand we approached Jean. I don't think that I've had those feelings for Jean before. But at that moment, I wanted her so much. Was she calling for me? Was something else influencing me? I didn't care. Jean's jealousy and concern melted away as Yuki and I worked our magic.

"This is wrong!" I thought to myself, but neither Yuki nor Jean could hear my thoughts. "Yes, they are attractive women, but they're my employees and my friends. I'm not supposed to do this!" The rational part of my mind was cut off from the lustful animal.

_"You should do this because they are your friends_," replied a part of my mind that was long silent. _"Yuki loves you. She came all the way from Hoenn to be with you. They both look up to you. You're a goddess in their eyes. Should you not reward these maidens who have kept your mysteries?"_

"You're not me! You are not part of my mind! Get out!"

_"Yes I am,"_ replied the thoughts like a little girl. _"I'm the part of you that wants fun. I'm the part that built Saffron Tower so everyone can have fun."_

"I did that. This is my empire!"

_"The rational Sabrina would never build a skyscraper just to watch other people have sex. But I would. Now I'm bored listening to you." _The thought turned outward and said, "_Let's grab some towels and go do it on the roof."_

Like in a dream, I watched myself make love to Jean and Yuri. I wondered if a part of their minds were trapped like I was. I tried to reach out to them but stopped when I noticed the other 'me' was trying to disarm the building's shielding and flood the roof with sex energy.

"You can't do it," I mentally noted.

_"Open the gates!" _whined the childish voice. _"I want to feel everything."_

"You said you built this tower. Then prove it," I defied.

_"I don't need it!" _the girly thought sassed back.

"You can't have it. You can't build and run an empire on a little girl's whim."

"_What good are your rational thoughts if you can't have Yuki? No comeback, eh? That's because there is no rational reason to make love to Yuki. If you want an heir, go to the sperm bank or clone yourself. Maybe I should tell Yuki what you are thinking…"_

"Spoiled brat; don't you hurt Yuki!"

_"Why? She's just an employee to you. Big time executives always demand service from their staff." _

"Without rational thought and control, you'll burn everyone around you and destroy everything I built. There won't be any more pleasure."

"SABRINA!" Only one being had thoughts this strong.

"Yes?" I replied.

_"Yes?" replied the girly thoughts._

Mewtwo called out again, "SABRINA!"

"Yes?" and _"Yes?" _we replied.

"There is only one Sabrina," stated Mewtwo.

_"NO, there…_Yes there is."

"Are you still of two minds?"

"No," I replied, "perhaps a mind and a half. Were you also affected?"

"Yes. Something split my mind in half. I haven't thought like that in a very long time, and I do not wish to return to those days," answered Mewtwo coldly.

"I think Jean and Yuki have been affected as well. I'm going to try to bring them out of it."

"Do you need assistance?"

"Stand by just in case. Yuki has long been of two minds, so I need to be delicate."

"She doesn't share that concern."

Mewtwo's comment didn't make sense until I opened my mind to the waking world. Jean was sitting on my face and Yuki was ramming something into me. I wiggled out from under Jean and sat up. Yuki put her arms around my shoulders as she continued to hump my like a sex crazed boy. I wrapped my legs around her and held her tight.

"Yuki!" I called into her mind.

"Yuki's in Hoenn," replied a husky thought.

"I want to talk to Yuki."

Yuri's image formed before me. But unlike his previous forms, this one didn't wear the uniform of a gym teacher. This was a naked man, with muscle tone and a long erect penis.

"You've had your fun Yuri. Now let Yuki out."

"You don't need her. I got everything you want right here," replied Yuri's image as he gestured to his 'manhood'.

"You need her," I retorted. "Yuri only exists because Yuki sacrificed part of her identity to create you, for the real Yuri."

"I am the real Yuri!" he roared. "Yuki lives in Hoenn, wears dresses and enters Contests. She flirts with the boys. She wears makeup and gets to be pretty. She gets to be sexy!"

"He wears makeup and he gets to be sexy," I corrected.

"It's not fair!"

"No it's not," I replied as warmly as I could.

Yuri's image pounces upon my own and tears away my image of clothes. "After all the years I put into this, I'm going to enjoy myself."

"Rape? You think you can rape me here?!" my thoughts boomed. Yuri's image wavered. "Yuki, your thoughts are in here. Are you going to let this image you constructed try to rape me?"

"She can't hear you," growled Yuri.

"Then she can watch this…" I reached between our bodies and grabbed Yuri's 'manhood' with both hands. In the waking world, I grabbed the strap-on that Yuki wore. At the same moment, I pulled them off of their host, and threw them away. Yuki's image was slowly taking over Yuri's. I shoved two fingers into the hole that the strap-on vacated. "Only Yuki gets to feel this, not Yuri. Yuki is my friend. Yuki has my respect. Yuri is just an employee and nothing more."

"Sabrina?" replied Yuki's image.

I took my fingers out of her and hugged her.

"What…?"

"We'll talk about this later. First we need to put Jean's mind back together."

"I'll take care of it," declared Yuki, before her image faded away as she left her trance.

I left my trance just in time to hear, "Snap out of it, you sex crazed blonde slut!"

Yuki was shaking Jean, while Jean was pleasuring herself with the strap-on that I had discarded.

"That's not what I had in mind," I stated.

"Don't worry," replied Yuki, "She does this all the time."

"Do I have to tell Sabrina that you can't come to work because you're busy masturbating?!"

"No! Don't tell sensei!" shout Jean as she snapped out of her trance.

"You say she does this all the time?" I asked.

"A couple times a week," answered Yuki.

"No I don't," replied Jean defiantly.

"Most people wake up to the buzz of an alarm clock. I wake up to the buzz of vibrators and Jean thumping her bed against the wall."

"That's not true."

"Last Saturday, we saw the latest Pokemon Romance movie, then Sunday at 4 am, I hear, through the walls, her moaning, "Oh Lucario. Yes, yes, right there. Fill me with your Aura Spheres."

"I did not."

"Then how did you break the window?"

"Enough!" Once the other two stopped bickering, I said, "I'm glad to see that you're both back to 'normal'. The four of us were affected today by a very strong psychic."

"Four?" asked Jean and Yuki together.

"Do you wish to take part?" I mentally asked Mewtwo.

"Very well," replied Mewtwo as he drifted out of the shadows.

I made the introductions: "Yuki, Jean, this is Mewtwo. Mewtwo, this is Jean and Yuki."

"Are you related to the legendary Mew?" asked Jean.

"After a fashion," replied the Pokemon.

"Let's go over what happened. This afternoon I received an emergency alert from this tower. The emergency was caused by an overload to the psychic shielding in the love hotels."

Yuki nodded, Jean looked puzzled and Mewtwo asked, "How does this shielding work?"

"The shielding comes in three parts: Deflection, absorption and scramble," I explained. "The deflection and absorption are based upon the psychic defenses we teach in the gym. At your power level, I doubt that you had to resort to absorption."

"No, there was a time when I had to take the commands of others but tried hard to defy them. So I understand absorption. But what is scramble?"

"Since the shielding is artificial and controlled by a computer, the computer can make superfast changes to the absorption and deflection levels which scramble psychic signals," explained Yuki who helped to develop the system.

I continued, "I arrived at the tower and traced the fault to floor 34. A middle aged woman with brown hair, using the name Miss Kay, was having sex with a Pokemon." Mewtwo said nothing, but did emit a wave of disgust. "I tried to use my abilities to prevent their psychic energy from destroying more of the building's systems."

"Why didn't you just interrupt their intercourse?" asked Mewtwo.

The other two looked at me. "Pride," I answered. "I prided myself on being the strongest human psychic. I may have been wrong." Jean patted me on the shoulder. "Their love making was rather hypnotic. I was soon lost in a trance, until Mewtwo interrupted."

"But to no avail," added the Pokemon. "I was also put into a trance, by three minds."

"Three?" I asked.

"Indeed. I believe that you were overwhelmed by the mind of the human and her Pokemon. When I teleported through your barriers, your mind was taken over by their thoughts of lust and desire. You then added your thoughts to the influence that they initiated. I found my rational mind separated from my base instincts. I struggled with my mind until Yuki arrived."

We all looked to Yuki, so she gave her part of the story: "You left in a hurry, so I asked the trainer if he could come back tomorrow. He seemed disappointed but agreed. I tried to call you, but you didn't answer your Poketch. So I rode my bicycle over here as fast as I could."

"That was pretty fast," I complemented.

"It took me an hour to get through the traffic. I rode the elevator to the observation deck and called out for Espeon. She let me through the security and down the elevator to you. That's where I found you and Mewtwo…doing it."

"An hour?" I muttered under my breath.

"It was Yuki's jealousy that allowed me to bring my mind back together and interrupt Miss Kay." Yuki flinched. "For once I was grateful for petty human emotions." Mewtwo couldn't read faces, but with three brooding psychics, he knew he said the wrong thing. "No offense," he offered.

I tried to focus their thoughts on the mystery. "So Miss Kay, who may be a psychic, and her psychic Pokemon put me and then Mewtwo in an hour long trance. Then she snares Yuki. Mewtwo breaks the spell. Then the floor breaks."

"What was that smell?" asked Yuki.

"Smell?"

"That weird, musky smell that came up from the room after you fell in."

"Evidence that it was a male Pokemon that the woman was having sex with," I offered.

"What do you mean?" asked Jean.

"Let's just say that he coated the walls with a thick layer of his Aura Spheres."

Jean blushed.

"We left the rooms, and returned to the apartment. Miss Kay went to the bathroom to clean up, and Mewtwo left the building," I added to the narrative.

"It was like Mewtwo's leaving unpaused the emotions I felt when I found you two," commented Yuki.

I speculated, "Perhaps Miss Kay doesn't have the strength to control us simultaneously. So she waits for the strongest to leave and then pushes our buttons so she can make her getaway."

"I'm sorry sensei. I let her get away," confessed Jean.

"When did you arrive?" I asked.

"Well after you left, then Yuki, I had to finish the afternoon training sessions, put the Pokemon away and secure the gym. I didn't get here till nine-o-clock, which was six hours after you left. I also took the elevator to the observation deck and then tried to make my way here. As I got closer, I got more and more jealous. I used my telekinesis to force my way through the locks. I got to your front door. When I opened it, a woman with long brown hair ran out, but all I could sense was you two doing it in the garden, that's when the other me took over."

I looked at my Poketch and stated, "It's three-o-clock now, so there was a nice six hour orgy that I can't remember."

"Oh. Uh, me neither," added Yuki.

"Don't lie," stated Mewtwo bluntly. "You do remember it and you enjoyed it. If you didn't, then Miss Kay couldn't have influenced you."

Intelligence, power and tact: I guess two out of three isn't bad. "Does that mean that you enjoyed it as well?" I asked of the super-Pokemon.

"What do you mean?" he replied.

"If three human psychics could remember that orgy, then surely the Mighty Mewtwo did as well," explained Yuki.

"What did it feel like ramming a real cock into sensei's love hole?" asked Jean.

"I have no knowledge or opinion on that."

We three humans replied, "Sure, we believe you."

"Are we going to tease each other all night, or are we going to make plans?" asked Mewtwo as he tried to change the subject.

I scratched an itch and found grass stains. "I going to take a bath, then maybe a quick nap before work," I stated.

"That's right!" exclaimed Jean. "I was going to make a quiz for the first year students."

The three of us gathered the towels we were sitting on and headed off the roof. Yuki asked Mewtwo, "You coming?" Mewtwo blinked. "You need a bath more than us." This was true, for Mewtwo had the smell of a Pokemon that lived in the wild and avoided water. Yuki went back, took Mewtwo by the hand and escorted him down to the garden and into apartment and the bathroom.

When I contracted to have the penthouse apartment made, I simply gave the architect the instructions to make a penthouse apartment with a meditation garden. The apartment is basically C shaped as it partially surrounds a pool and patio garden. I only use one, of the several bedrooms, the kitchen, bathroom, living room and the home office. The other rooms are occupied by Gengar and Gardevoir or used for storage. The bathroom that the four of us went to was big enough for ten people to wash and soak in the tub. This is perhaps the greatest benefit for having an architect who designs buildings for a toilet company.

Mewtwo was obviously out of his element in the bath. So we humans took turns showing him how to clean himself, or scrub his back, which was a delicate operation around his secondary spine. With some effort with regard to Mewtwo, the four of us were clean and soaking in the tub.

Jean was absentmindedly squirting water from her clenched hands. "Sensei, how far up the walls?"

"What walls?" I asked while half asleep.

"The walls that were coated with you-know-what."

"Sixteen foot high walls and the ceiling," I recalled.

She splashed some more water then asked, "How could he do that?"

"Mewtwo is our designated male, ask him to show you," I joked.

"All those videos you have, and you still don't know how a male does it?" asked a surprised Yuki.

"That's not what I meant!"

I could sense Mewtwo giving a tiny sigh.

"I mean, how could a psychic Pokemon produce enough of it to cover the walls and ceiling?"

"Maybe he was a Slowking and learned how to use Watergun in a fun new way," speculated Yuki.

"Jean raises a good point," I mentioned. Yuki giggled. "A Pokemon would have to practice to be able to shoot that much semen." Jean glanced at Mewtwo. "Down, Jean."

"No fair," she grumped.

"Besides, Gengar is much more practiced and I'm not cleaning that stuff off the walls."

"One other thing comes to mind," mused Jean. Yuki stifled a laugh. "Miss Kay looked familiar. I don't know where I saw her before."

"Maybe in one of your videos," joked Yuki.

"Maybe… yes I saw her on the television, but I don't know why."

"Someone needs to practice her self-hypnosis and recall skills," I pointed out.

"You can join my beginner class," offered Yuki.

"We've got about two hours left before we have to get up for work," I stated. "So, I'm going to bed and try to get some sleep. Sleep wherever you want and good night, what's left of it." I got out of the tub, toweled off and staggered into bed. My last act before falling asleep was setting the alarm.

The alarm went off. I looked at the clock and two hours really did pass. I tried to physically reach the clock, but someone mumbled, "Ow," as my elbow connected. I silenced the alarm telekinetically and then surveyed. "I have a 20,000 square foot apartment; does everyone have to be in my bed?"

From under my elbow, Yuki turned to me and said, "You said sleep anywhere, and you do have a comfy bed."

"Oh, Mewtwo," moaned Jean. "Yes, oh yes use your tail."

Mewtwo was sitting in the corner of the room and opened an eye.

"Just push her out of the bed," muttered Yuki as she turned away and pulled up the covers.

"I'll push you both out of bed, if you don't get up RIGHT NOW," I projected. The other two stumbled quickly out of bed and tried to get dressed.

I write 'tried' because they both had fewer clothes than they came here with: Some of Yuki's clothes were under a pile of broken concrete, and Jean's underwear was missing.

"Gengar, did you take her clothes?"

My ghost Pokemon phased through the wall and shook his head.

"Well I have enough panties to spare, but my bras are going to be too tight for you," I observed. For Yuki, or rather Yuri, I found the least feminine looking jeans and shirt. To Mewtwo I said, "We have to go to work, and we'll investigate this case later today. Feel free to stay here to visit or swim. But be careful, our Miss Kay may come back and I don't think that the tower could take a full psychic battle."

"I will merely observe," he replied.

"Gengar, Gardevoir and Espeon, keep an eye on things and watch out for Mewtwo; there are dangerous people who want him, but we protect our own."

"…Our own'?" replied the stoic Pokemon.

"Psychics," I replied. "Psychics that lead double lives and psychics who don't like their past." I waved goodbye, locked the door behind me, and led the other two down and outside. We collected our bikes from storage and pedaled off to breakfast and work.

Breakfast was rice, runny eggs and black coffee. "Strange," commented Jean.

"What?" asked Yuki.

"If we were up most of the night, then why am I not tired?"

"Healing trance," I speculated. "I think Miss Kay incorporates a healing trance so she can do_ it_ even longer."

"I think that Jean is getting used to doing it in her sleep," teased Yuki.

Jean telekinetically snapped Yuki's chopsticks. "I can't take you two anywhere. I don't know if you could tell in your state, but make note of any changes in the students. It could be that they were exposed to 'Miss Kay'."

We finished our breakfast. Before we rode off to the gym I said, "Jean, I found your underwear."

"Here?" she asked.

I pointed back to Saffron Tower, then to the gingko tree across the street. Caught in the top branches was a pair of panties. Few people were about, so I psychically pulled the panties out and into my hand. "Twisted Spoons?" I asked regarding the pattern on the panties.

Jean snatched the panties out of my hand and stuffed them in her pocket. Jean blushed all the way to the gym, as Yuki and I looked at the trees for Jean's missing bra.

At the gym, the advanced students were already there cleaning and preparing for the day. I checked Alakazam and the other Pokemon. None of them had noted any changes or psychic disturbances. Satisfied, I went to my office to do paperwork and wait for a report from the security contractors.

As I closed the door to the office, my chair dramatically turned and a strange man faced me.

"Mistress Sabrina, so good of you to come," he purred.

"Ivan?" I asked. He nodded. "I've never seen you without your allergy mask, so I was caught off guard."

He fanned a handful of photos. "I've never seen you like this before," he purred again.

I moved closer and saw that the photos were of me pleasing myself on my pool lounge. "Well, well," I replied, "Looks like the Slowbro is coming out of his shell. How'd you do it?"

"A Murkrow with a camera: So simple, I'm surprised you didn't consider it."

That was the second time in a month that I was undone by a dark Pokemon. I have to find a countermeasure. But first, I had to deal with Ivan.

"I was wondering when you'd grow a pair," I purred back. "All these years you've been here, and now you make your move." I moved around the desk and spun the chair away from the door. I put a hand on the back of the chair and force it to recline. "Now you didn't bring me these photos for my scrapbook, did you? You want something…" I held down Ivan with one hand while I used the nails of my other hand to explore Ivan's chest.

"What are you doing?" he stammered.

"Isn't this what you want? This is why you stayed on as a student. You want private lessons from the teacher. You want to stay after class and clean my erasers." I found the zipper to his pants and said, "You want to take part in extracurricular activities."

"Mistress Sabrina?"

"Shh… Don't be surprised Ivan. All those years of calling me the 'Great Sabrina' and 'Mistress', this is what you wanted. I'm become like your fantasies." I slowly unzipped his pants. "Even when I was cruel and dark, you stayed on. You wanted me to be rough with you. You want me to chain you up in my dungeon, whip you, tease you and please you." I move closer and let my long hair cover his face. For once I was glad Jean insisted I used that fragrant shampoo, because it should drive allergy boy crazy. I examined the photos closer and noted three things: One, they were taken a month ago. Two, Ivan is not a good photographer. Three, he has been enjoying these photos in his spare time.

"Ivan, these photos were taken weeks ago, why are you blackmailing me now?"

"Blackmail?"

"That's what this is all about, isn't it? You take some photos and threaten to reveal them to others unless you get your way. How do I know that you haven't already exposed me and my naughty ways?"

"Mistress Sabrina, I'd never…"

"Oh, what's this? You got something on this photo," I purred as I snatched away the photo. I stepped away from Ivan and dramatically tasted the photo. Ivan's eyes bulged. "You've been touching yourself while you watched me touching myself. Did you get tired of this little photo? Do you want to touch yourself while watching the real me?"

"Sa…sa," he stammered.

I hiked up my short, tight dress and showed off my black, laced thong. I planted the sole of my new thigh-high boot on the reclined chair. I traced the lacy edge of my underwear with a finger as I purred, "I want to see you touch yourself. I want to see if you _measure up_. Are you mature enough to take on a _position_ at the gym?" Ivan reached into his pants with both hands and moved them in time to my finger. Long strokes, short stokes and fast strokes; I controlled them all with the tip of my finger.

I pushed him quickly to his climax and kept him there until he broke. As he fainted from exhaustion, I reached into his mind and gathered all the details of the would-be-blackmailer. Murkrow was a recent catch, and the camera was a recent idea. The other photos were stored on his home computer and 'protected' by an all too obvious password. His memories of the last day were less clear. He did book a quickie session in the love hotel for a video viewing. The room looked like one on the 30th or 29th floor of Saffron Tower.

I accessed my Tower's records via my Poketch. There were too many to determine when Ivan was there. Ivan was moaning in his sleep. I photographed him as he was sprawled out in my chair, dripping with his own slime and his limp manhood on display. I filled the photo memory with all the shots and angles I could manage, and then left the room quietly.

"Jean, can you come here for a minute?" I mentally called.

Jean was quickly at my side, so I whispered to her a plan.

"Has anyone seen Ivan today?" I called out when I could sense Ivan waking up.

"I think he's waiting for you in your office!" shouted Jean. "Is something wrong?"

"It's nine-o-clock and the Pokemon haven't been exercised."

Jean rattled the doorknob and asked, "Is it Ivan's turn to do that?"

"He's the head student and he's responsible."

Jean opened the door and called out, "Ivan, are you in here?"

Thump! Ivan flopped forward, out of the chair and onto the floor. He was scrambling to cover himself with his lab coat.

"Ivan, are you taking a nap in my office?"

"Mistress Sabrina?"

"What are you doing on the floor?" asked Jean. "This is not the type of behavior we expect of the head student."

"I'm sorry Jean. I'm sorry Mistress Sabrina," he was almost groveling.

I caught Jean's eyes and directed her to a discarded photo. Jean picked it up and recognized the view of my pool and garden. The face should have been more distorted than before. She looked at me in horror, but I flashed my evil smile.

"Ivan Petrovich would you care to explain this?" demanded Jean.

"May I see that Jean?" I asked. Jean handed me the photo. I looked at it then showed to Jean as I asked, "Can you make out who this is?"

"Too blurry," commented Jean.

"I'm disappointed in you Ivan Petrovich. All these years of dedication to this gym and you use your abilities to spy on women. You're not even a good photographer." I made a motion to sit in my chair but stopped and demanded, "What is this white stuff on my chair?"

Jean, who was very dramatic when she needed to be, gasped, "Ivan how could you?"

Ivan was too scared to grovel. Given a mental push, he would have jumped out the window. I sat on my desk and crossed my legs as Ivan watched. "This actually conforms to symptoms we noted in the others."

"True," agreed Jean without hesitation.

"Symptoms?" croaked Ivan.

"Several psychics around the city have displayed rather uncharacteristically perverted behavior recently. Some event or encounter triggers a breakdown in their inhibitions. I hoped that a psychic with as many years of training as you could resist."

"Perhaps this means that the influence is stronger than we thought," speculated Jean.

"Then that is very serious," I commented. I took a pen and a pad of paper from my desk. "Ivan, I need you to tell me everything you have done and everywhere you have gone in the last 24 hours."

"Everything?"

"It is vital that you don't leave out any detail. This could be the beginning of a psychic epidemic. Finding the culprit could come down to a street corner or a passing stranger."

"Will you need me?" asked Jean.

I turned to face Jean and replied, "Could you bring some leather cleaner? Thanks." I mouthed, "Check in often."

Ivan detailed yesterday's events from opening the gym in the morning until I ran off to deal with the emergency. Ivan jumped when Jean knocked on the door. She entered and handed Ivan leather cleaner and a rag. She turned her face away from Ivan and mouthed, "Come back?"

I winked and nodded.

Ivan cleaned as he detailed closing the gym for the evening and going to let off some steam.

"How do you normally 'let off steam'?"

"I watch videos," he replied.

I slowed the ventilation around Ivan so the leather cleaner fumes could work on him.

There was a knock on the door. Yuri stuck her head in and asked, "Would you like to reschedule your gym battle for three-o-clock?"

"Thank you Yuri, yes. Would you contact the trainer?"

"Certainly, I took his Poketch message number yesterday."

I gave Yuki a secret evil grin and wink. She pulled her head out and closed the door.

"What kind of videos and where do you watch them? Please Ivan, this is important."

"The Shadow Box," he whispered. "I go to the Shadow Box." The Shadow Box is the name of the company that leases floors 29 and 30 for very private video viewing. They use one warp tile per floor. The walls, floors, ceiling and video equipment is waterproof and self-cleaning. They have a very good profit margin and plans to expand.

"Where is the Shadow Box?"

"I don't know. I get there via a warp tile next to the Lucky Seven Convenience store. It's near my home."

"Where is your home exactly, so I don't have to look it up?"

"Westgate 3-2-14, room 25."

I reached out to Gengar's mind as I repeated, "Westgate 3-2-14, room 25."

"Now then, what videos did you watch?"

Yuki rapped on the door as she stuck her head in. "The trainer would like to schedule the battle earlier so he can make it to the next Pokemon Center before dark. I moved him up to 12:30. Is that okay?"

"He assumes that he's going to win. If he can get here in two hours, we can battle before lunch."

"I'll check," she answered before closing the door hard.

"Ivan, I know you're embarrassed, but this is important." I got off the table, crouched down to his level and put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. I telekinetically pushed away the cleaning fumes, and replace them with the fruity smell from my shampoo. "All of my student's safety is important to me, and I need your help. Please, as the head student, help me protect them Ivan."

"I can't remember."

"Ivan, please."

"I really can't remember. The warp tile took me to a large hallway. There was a green light by a door that indicated that the room was available. I entered the room and sat in the chair. My mind felt foggy and I don't remember much until I fell out of the chair. Please believe me Great Sabrina."

I did, but I needed some details. "How did you pay?"

"Cash card."

"Do you still have the card?"

Ivan took out his wallet and produced an ordinary looking cash card. I ran the card through my Poketch and recorded its identification numbers. I returned the card to Ivan and said, "Thank you. If I can convince 'Shadow Box' to release their records, then maybe we can determine where and when you were there, and what you watched." I let that soak in before I asked, "Have you gone to Shadow Box before?"

"Yes."

"Do you remember what you saw on a previous visit?"

"Sabrina," he replied.

"Yes?"

"The video had Sabrina in the title," he replied.

"Was it a video about me?" Of course it was, and I sued them for every penny they had. Then I had the video reedited and released exclusively to the video booths in my tower, but Ivan won't know that.

"I'm sure they meant a different Sabrina."

"What kind of video is it? Comedy, parody, travelogue, romance, science friction…?" I purposely made the slip.

"Sabrina Does Saffron," he muttered.

"Sabrina Does Saffron," I slowly repeated every syllable as I wrote it down. "Sound like all of the above," I commented with a little laugh. I gave Ivan a hearty slap on the back before I stood up.

Yuki stuck her head in and mentioned, "The trainer can be here in a half hour, if you're ready."

"Ivan, are you sure you can't remember anything from your 'foggy mind' episode?"

"I'm sorry, but no I can't."

"Don't be sorry Ivan. I hope that the information you have given me can track down the cause of your blackout and the other cases we're investigating. Now don't let me keep you from your studies and duties."

"Thank you," he replied as he gathered his things and scuttled out the room.

"Hey Yuki, can you get me a copy of Sabrina Does Saffron?" I called out, hoping that Ivan would overhear.

"What's it about?" replied Yuki loudly as she followed my lead.

"I'm not sure, that's why I want to see." I shut the door and worked my Poketch. Yuki was going to ask a question, but I waved her off. "Gengar, are you in the apartment?"

"Geng," replied my Pokemon over the Poketch.

"Then plug me in." A moment later I typed in Ivan's password, removed the photos of me and placed a fresh photo of him on his computer. "Good job. Now get out quick."

"Did Ivan have photos of you?" asked Yuki.

"'Did'; if I'm right, he now has a handful of distorted photos, and a crashed computer, with a single image of him in that chair."

"Nasty."

"Let that be a lesson to you: Don't try to blackmail me."

"Yes _Mistress_," replied Yuki with the same evil grin I used. "Did you get any information about Miss Kay?"

"Very little: Ivan took a warp tile to floor 29 and arrived at 8:35 pm. He selected Sabrina Does Saffron. He stayed for three hours then left. He could have fallen under Miss Kay's influence anytime in that three hour window. If, as he claims, he was under the influence the moment he arrived then Miss Kay can reach down though 40 floors of shielding. I believe instead that he was affected when she escaped down the elevator at 9:00."

"Is there really a video called Sabrina Does Saffron?"

"Yes."

"Is it about you?"

"Yes."

"Can I watch it?"

"Later, if you're good. Now let's get ready for a gym battle." Yuki turned for the door and I slapped her on the ass.

"What?"

"Never mention Sabrina Does Saffron in this gym again."

"Yes Great Sabrina," replied Yuki as she rolled every r.

I made my way to the Pokemon battlefield. Arthur was waiting. "Thank you for this delay. I believe that you were ahead three Pokemon to two."

"Let's just start over from the beginning," boasted the young trainer as he released his Girafarig. I made eye contact with Yuri, who was acting as judge. We both nodded, so I released Haunter.

"This will be a three on three battle between Arthur of Goldenrod City and Sabrina the gym leader. Only the challenger will be allowed to make substitutions. Begin," announced Yuri.

"Girafarig, use Crunch," ordered Arthur.

"Float up and use Dark Pulse," I told Haunter, but I added mentally, "Half power."

A wave of dark energy hit Girafarig. The Pokemon winced but charged ahead. Arthur sounded the charge, "Jump through!"

As soon as Girfarig's feet left the ground I called for, "Full Power Dark Pulse." Haunter's attack knocked the opponent out of the air and to the ground.

"Stand up!" pleaded Arthur. Girafarig struggled to his feet. While the Pokemon's knees wobbled, Arthur called for, "Psychic."

"Dark Pulse," I countered. The two waves of energy collided. The backlash of energy struck both Pokemon. My Haunter looked annoyed.

"Girafarig is unable to continue," announced Yuri.

"Haunt, haunt, haunt," laughed Haunter. I wished he didn't do that, but this time it may serve my purposes.

Arthur released Drowzee. "Psybeam!"

The "Shadow Ball" I called for plowed through Drowzee's attack and knocked Drowzee to his knees.

Desperate, Arthur called for, "Hypnosis," which worked. Haunter's eyelids slowly dropped as did his floating body. Before landing on the floor, Haunter was hit by Dream Eater.

Once my Pokemon was drained of energy Yuri announced, "Haunter is unable to battle."

I recalled Haunter and sent out Mr. Mime. The moment Yuri signaled to resume the match, I called for Safeguard. Mr. Mime glowed.

"I've trumped three of your Pokemon's moves. What will you do now?" I asked.

After he struggled with his thoughts, Arthur said, "Drowzee, return." He released in its place Sneasel.

"Now you are using your head," I praised. "But it's not over yet."

"Faint Attack," ordered Arthur in a calm voice.

"Roll with the hit," I ordered. Sneasel dashed from side to side, then suddenly was behind Mr. Mime and landed his dark claws down my Pokemon's back. Mr. Mime was turning into the attack and ready to counter with, "Drain Punch!" Mr. Mime's fist connected in Sneasel midsection. Sneasel started to faint as Mr. Mime drained his health.

"Use Quick Attack to get away!" Sneasel gave my Pokemon a light body check then sped away.

"Mimic his Quick Attack and press on," I commanded.

Mr. Mime reached Sneasel before Arthur could react and returned the body check, followed by one last Drain Punch.

"Sneasel is unable to battle."

Arthur was stunned and just stared at his fallen Pokemon. A moment later he recalled Sneasel and stared at the Pokeball.

"Do you want to continue?" I asked.

Arthur hung his head and muttered, "No."

"Then the match goes to the gym leader," replied Yuri flatly. Yuri looked at me then looked at Arthur. When I failed to make the connection, Yuki sent to my mind, "Find out what's wrong."

"He lost," I mentally replied. "He was overconfident and lost his focus."

"That was more than overconfidence: He was not the same trainer you battled yesterday. Take him to lunch."

As Arthur sulked out the door, I caught up to him and asked, "Have you had lunch yet?"

"Not hungry," he mumbled.

"You will be, now follow me."

I led him outside, where we gathered our bicycles and rode off to the Pokemon Center. After he checked his wounded Pokemon in, I asked Arthur, "Did you go home to Goldenrod City last night?"

"How did you know?"

"I'm…psychic?"

Arthur laughed a little and nodded.

As we walked outside to the bikes, I said, "I asked because I've been getting reports of a woman who has caused strange reactions in psychics around the city. Could you tell me where you went yesterday after the gym battle?"

As we rode, Arthur gave me the details of yesterday. He took his Pokemon to the Pokemon Center for a quick check up then worked his way clockwise through the city. He stopped at a park popular with the local trainers. He made his way to the Silph Company for a tour and product demonstration. When he left Silph, it was dark, so he took the Maglev train back to Goldenrod City. He hurried home for a late dinner and bed.

"Did you think about our battle, or plan strategy for today?" I asked.

"I can't remember. Maybe I fell asleep on the train."

As we got closer to our lunch stop, I made a call. "Sonny, I'm going to take you up on your offer. Can you hold two seats for me? Thanks." We parked the bikes at the Yoshida Department Store, rode the elevator up to the food court, and hurried to two seats at Psychic Noodles. There Sonny and his Mr. Mime fixed two bowls of custom noodles. Arthur's ramen was had a rich miso and pork broth. Mine was again curry soba with a trace of exotic ingredients. Arthur forgot his troubles as he dived into his bowl.

"Can we have a rematch?" asked the boy with a mouthful of noodles.

"How about next week?"

"Next week?" he whined.

"You lost today because you were reckless and overconfident. You need to get back to the state of mind you had yesterday. Your Sneasel was hit pretty hard. It'll take a while to recover his confidence, and you need to learn how to use his speed."

"Slurp?" was Arthur's reply.

"Even though Mr. Mime Mimicked your Quick Attack, your Sneasel was still faster. I won because Mr. Mime was faster than you and not your Pokemon."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"I'm a psychic; I have a right to be cryptic."

"Stingy."

"I am paying for lunch," I pointed out.

"Thank you very much," he quickly recovered. "You are the most generous and beautiful gym leader in the whole world."

Sonny tried to stifle his snickering.

"You're learning Arthur…" I joked.

After lunch, I escorted Arthur back to the Pokemon center. I said my farewells and returned to the gym to close out the day. I gathered Jean and Yuri in my office and said, "I think Miss Kay is in Goldenrod City."

"Told you," replied Yuki.

"Fine, you did," I conceded. "I'm going there tonight. Jean, you think you saw her before, will you come along and help me look?" Jean nodded.

"What about the gym?" asked Yuki.

"You'll be in charge."

"Goldenrod is a big city," pointed out Jean. "How are we going to find Miss Kay?"

"Arthur was affected I think on the train. With that many people in Goldenrod someone will be affected. Perhaps the police or the Pokemon Center will notice any changes."

"You're going to use dumb luck," stated Yuki.

"Yes," I answered. "So we need to leave as soon as possible."

"And I have to close up the gym tonight," sighed Yuki.

"I'll make it up to you."

"Promise?" asked Yuki in a tone that made Jean blush.

"I could put you in the sequel to Sabrina Does Saffron," I offered. This time Yuki blushed.

Jean rushed home on her bike. I teleported to my living room. "Espe," greeted my Pokemon from her spot on the couch.

"Where's our guest?"

"Gardevoir, garde," replied Gardevoir, who was dusting at the time. I ventured out to the garden and found Gengar doing the one thing that he takes seriously: gardening. Then I realized I was seeing double. Gengar was floating above a large topiary of Gardevoir, but he was directing Mewtwo. Mewtwo was wearing Gengar's gardening apron, wearing Gengar's straw gardening hat, and using Gengar's clippers.

"You never even let me touch your tools, and you let him use them on the topiary," I griped.

Mewtwo looked at me awkwardly, in part because the holes in the hat's brim that would fit Gengar's ears caused the hat to sit forward on Mewtwo's head so they would fit his horns.

"Gengar gen," Gengar replied dismissively.

"Anyway, I have to catch the train to Goldenrod City. We have a lead on Miss Kay. I don't know if she lives in Johto or Kanto, so she may come back to Saffron City. Mewtwo, can you keep your thoughts open towards the train station? I know there are a lot of human minds to sift through, but just be aware of the strong ones."

"Very well."

"Geng gar gar?"

"No, I'm not going to ride the Phallic Express," I answered as I went in. "Where did you get that idea?"

Gengar floated along and explained, with the help of pantomime, the plot of the latest porn video to play downstairs.

"I doubt that the rail company intended for the Maglev to be for the benefit of gropers, and no, you can't come along."

Gengar shook his head and offered an idea to look for gropers who have information.

"That is a good idea," I gave him a kiss on the head and added, "Thanks."

In the bedroom I changed my look into groper bait and added a few accessories to my overnight bag. Gardevoir suggested that I take some special jewelry as well. "I thought that Gengar was the kinky one."

Gardevoir replied that Gengar was the kinky one. Gardevoir thought of the jewelry as protection. Once dressed, I recalled Espeon to her Pokeball and phoned Jean. "Are you at the warp tile?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Transmitting evacuation code. Now you should be in the subway station below the tower. I'll see you in the lobby."

Moments later I found Jean in the lobby. "I didn't recognize you, sensei," commented Jean.

"Right now I'm Sempei. I'm a spoiled upperclassman from Saffron University. This is my sexy school girl outfit. Notice the shorter than regulation uniform skirt and designer sunglasses? See how my black bra shows through the white blouse?"

"Yes…"

"Good, then let's go."

As we walked to the train station, Jean asked, "Why are you dressed that way Sempei?"

"Miss Kay has the ability to turn off people's inhibitions. If I can attract a groper, then maybe that will give us a clue towards Miss Kay's whereabouts or contacts. Keep me appraised on the sexy brat look."

"How would I know anything about that?"

"Because you're a teacher."

"Oh yes. I thought that you implied that I was a sexy brat."

"You were never a brat…" I quipped.

We entered the train station, purchased tickets and refreshments then waited on the platform. I paced about and trolled for a groper. Since Jean specialized in Telekinesis, she asked me in a whisper, "Any prospects?"

"Four gropers so far, but they're repeat offenders. I need one that's thinking of doing it for the first time," I whispered back.

"Another ten minutes until the train is here," pointed out Jean.

Five minutes later, I said, "I've got one."

"Who?"

"Over there under the clock."

"The old man standing next to the giant?" asked Jean.

"No, the giantess," I corrected.

"Okay, the old man standing next to the giantess?" Jean asked again.

"No I mean that the tall blonde woman is our target. Does this train have a pink car?"

"Let me check the guidebook: Women only car…yes. It's at the back of the train after the refreshment car."

"Let's move that way then."

The train arrived and we crowded our way into the special car designated for women only. This was rush hour so we found ourselves standing at the end of the car. Our giantess was standing nearby. She was over six feet tall, had long blonde hair and wore the expensive clothes of an executive: Silk blouse, designer label skirt and jacket, pearls and shoes that Jean would dream of owning. She also had a very slight alcohol buzz. Over one arm she had a long, yet light, coat for the occasional rain.

The three of us stood at the end of the aisle in an alcove framed by the door to the control room at my back and the walls to two restrooms on either side of me. The blonde wasted no time and 'stumbled' at the first jolt of the train. She landed on me, with her long arm over my shoulder so her hand was on my ass. Her breasts were pressed against my neck.

"I'm very sorry," she apologized.

"That's alright. It's easy to lose your balance after a long day," I replied. I telepathically asked Jean, "Be ready to take a picture with your cell phone, but don't let her see you."

Jean turned her attention away and pretended to text on her phone.

Noting the school badge on my uniform, the blonde asked, "Saffron University, what are you studying?"

"Psychology and Business," I replied as I backed away from her breasts.

"My department usually has positions for interns. It could be a good career move," she offered.

In her mind I could see that she had played the role of intern and felt obliged to 'take' someone new and 'train' them as she was 'trained'. Her once groping hand moved to the handrail. In her mind I could see that she was ready to strike. "Jean you need to be ready." Jean was leaning against the wall; her finger was resting on the shoot button. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see that she gave me a short nod. I could sense that the blonde would drop her coat and let her free hand come forward on the next jolt…

Bump. The train hit a slight gust of side wind.

The blonde did drop her coat and reached forward for a quick feel, but she got more than she bargained for: I lifted my skirt and Jean took several photos of the woman with her hand against my lace thong. She even turned to face the camera on the third shot.

I held her probing hand by her thumb. "Now be calm and do as you're told and this will be a pleasant ride," I said.

"What's going on?" she demanded.

"I'm sorry, but you're in no position to demand. Negotiate: yes. Demand: no. Next my assistant will help you with your coat." Jean picked up the woman's coat from the floor. "Drape it over her shoulders. This way you won't get chilled," I added with a wicked smile.

"Is this blackmail?"

"No, this is a demonstration of the services that I provide." I moved the woman's arms to her side. Telekinetically, I held her coat in place while my left hand went down her front and the right hand went down her back. Every button and fastener gave way to my touch, so her clothes dropped to the floor. I left her wearing her pearls and silk stockings, which held a little remote. "Now if you'll just put your right arm in this sleeve and then the left, thank you. To make sure you don't 'lose your balance' let's have you put your hands here and here."

I 'helped' place her hands on the overhead grab bar, but shackled her wrists in place with the trick bracelets. The blonde did play along, but she had yet to try to break free. I gathered her clothes and put them in my overnight bag. After adjusting her collar, and seeing her i.d. badge I said, "Now then Ms. Nozomi, Vice President of Marketing and Company Relations of National Rail, let me keep you company while I explain what kind of relations I market."

Ms. Nozomi gave me her own knowing and wicked smile. I gave her my interpretation of her actions, "Ah, you're thinking that you know what I'm going to do. You're thinking that you see a part of yourself in me. You're thinking that you will get the upper hand eventually, so you'll enjoy the ride." I removed the remote from her stocking. "Did you know what this was for when you were my age? I would say yes, because a woman of your stature and abilities would need extra satisfaction." I turned the control from its current low setting to medium. Ms. Nozomi didn't even flinch.

"You can do better than that," she replied. "Copier jams turn me on more than this."

I could sense that her hidden vibrator was working, but the moment called for a bit of show. I showed my middle finger to her face and then in a flash I shoved my other middle finger up her hole. "It seems like your little toy is working. Nice model: Sleek, wireless remote and lots of power. Just like you." I pushed it in further until it resisted. "And long too," I added. "Is it blonde?"

"No one can satisfy me to my standards," she replied with all the haughtiness she could muster.

I pulled out my finger. "It's time that you learned that money can't buy everything" I answered. I took a Pokeball from my belt. "The best things are developed, trained and disciplined." I released Rotom who immediately possessed Ms. Nozomi's vibrator.

"I bet you a million poke that you can't get me off in the next twenty minutes." I didn't respond so Ms. Nozomi asked, "Afraid to lose?"

I moved my face as close to hers as I could, while my right hand worked its way down her stomach to Rotom's playground. "You are not getting off that easily, or cheaply." Rotom took over by turning the vibrator up to, and beyond, high. Ms. Nozomi smiled with gritted teeth, until Rotom used Swagger, then she closed her eyes and started to sweat. I could sense Rotom moving about. "There Rotom," I told my Pokemon telepathically, "there is a sensitive spot."

I left Ms. Nozomi to Rotom's devices and moved next to Jean. "She'll be busy for a while."

"Did you get any information about Miss Kay?" asked Jean.

"Oops."

"Oops?" replied Jean. "Did you forget why we're going to Goldenrod City?"

"Sorry, I got caught up in the moment. I can't back down from a challenge."

"Sempei?"

"If she cracks, then I'll go in and get the information we need. I doubt that she had personal contact with Miss Kay. She's probably sensitive and was on the same train."

"Ding dong," chimed the p.a. system, "The next stop is Indigo Station. The next stop is Indigo Station. Please exit for the Indigo Plateau, and transfer to Mt. Silver Region. Doors will open on the left."

"Are you getting off?" I asked Ms. Nozomi.

"You wish."

To Jean I asked, "Did you buy a bottle of lemonade?"

"Sure, do you want it?"

Jean handed me the tall bottle of yellow juice. I ducked under Ms. Nozomi's arm, opened the bottle and took a loud swig. "Ahh, that's refreshing. Too bad it makes me go to the bathroom," I stated.

"That's not a problem," pointed out Jean, "the restroom is right here."

"That's right. Just within reach. So if I have to go, I can just take a few steps over there, go into the little room," I started to pantomime my commentary by leaning against the wall, "pull down my panties, lift up my skirt and feel so much better."

Ms. Nozomi had bit her lip to distract herself. The train stopped, a few passengers were exchanged, one entered the restroom on the left, the doors closed and we took off again.

"What is the weather like in Goldenrod?" I asked.

Jean with her cell phone replied, "Showers."

"Showers in Goldenrod City; do we call them, 'Golden showers'?" I asked.

Ms. Nozomi gave me an icy, yet knowing, stare.

I looked at Jean's overnight bag that was three times the size of my own, and asked, "Can I borrow your raincoat?"

Jean nodded, opened the bag and produced a light tan trench coat.

"Perfect. Thank you." I methodically unbuttoned my blouse, unhooked the bra and unbelted my skirt. I took off my clothes one piece at a time and put them in my crowded bag, until all I wore were my boots and sunglasses. Jean handed me the coat and I put it on. "Ms. Nozomi is quite the trendsetter isn't she?"

"Yes Sempei. I wish we had an extra raincoat so I could dress up too," remarked Jean.

"I'll take you shopping and buy you a new one. I have to repay those that are so generous to me," I cooed.

Ms. Nozomi was about to crack. Her exposed front glistened with tiny drops of perspiration.

"Here it comes," I teased then I warned Jean mentally, "Brace yourself for an Ominous Wind."

Rotom had sensed Ms. Nozomi was going to climax, so he countered with his Ominous Wind that sent a chill across the car and left everyone with goose bumps. At the epicenter stood the mostly naked and shivering Ms. Nozomi.

"I told you that you weren't getting off easily. My Pokemon is an artist and a perfectionist. If it doesn't think that everything is just right, it just wipes the slate clean and starts back at the beginning. Maybe before the next stop you'll be ready for another try."

"Sempei, something's coming," warned Jean.

"Don't you mean 'someone'?"

Mentally, Jean said, "I sense something wrong in the next car."

I stretched out my mind and found the awkward thoughts of various women and young men. Then I found the conflicted thoughts of someone enjoying the feeling in his pants yet torn by his sense of duty.

"Right on time," stated Ms. Nozomi as she noticed my faraway look. "Fare inspector. What are you going to say when he gets here?"

I buttoned up my trench coat and Ms. Nozomi's. The door at the other end opened and the fare inspector came into this car. He would get a little too close to the women as they stood in the aisle then brush his pelvis against them as he walked past. I wound my hair into a serious looking bun then took Ms. Nozomi's i.d. badge and clipped it to my lapel.

Jean showed the inspector her ticket. The man then pressed himself against Ms. Nozomi's leg as he sensed something was amiss.

I leaned my face into his and hissed quietly, "Fare Inspector Reed, badge number 134, what is the meaning of this?"

"I'm a fare inspector. I'm checking that people have their fares."

"My name is S. Nozomi, Deputy Chief of Internal Affairs. With the help of this woman, I've been investigating reports of unauthorized touching by our staff. Now I find you 'brushing' up to women and young men."

The real Nozomi and Inspector Reed were both shocked. I psychically unlocked the door behind me and ordered, "Get in. I don't want to disturb a carful of women with what I have to do next."

Caught, the man walked into the rear control room with his head hung low. I followed him and closed the door. I turned the driver's seat to face him and sat down. Mr. Reed, who was as skinny as a reed, stood. "Mr. Reed, recently I have been getting extra reports of groping and touching from this region." A flash of betrayal crossed Reed's face and a single name stood out in his mind, Thatch. "These reports did not come to me through the usual channels. In fact there seems to be a certain lack of reports regarding inspectors or certain trains. What do you know of this?"

"Nothing, ma'am."

"Nothing? You entered a conspiracy to falsify reports about your unethical behavior." I leaned back in the chair and crossed my legs. My long boots drew Reed's eyes in to notice my lack of underwear. "This goes beyond just destroying your career with this company. If reports get out, you will have no chance in any law enforcement or security agency. The damage to National Rail will also be considerable. We go through the effort to set aside cars to protect women from lewd behavior, only to find that our employees use it as their own personal hunting grounds. Don't you have any pride or loyalty to the company?"

"I'm sorry ma'am. I don't know why I did it."

"At least tell me when you did it."

"I started last night after the Goldenrod Electabuzz game. The train was packed with people returning to Saffron. I tried to make my way through the crowds, but I kept bumping into people. I don't know if someone touched me on purpose, but it, it," he started to stutter.

I noticed that his pants were pulled up higher than normal and they were getting tighter in the front.

"So yesterday was your first time?" I asked.

"Yes ma'am."

I stood up and rubbed my coat sleeve against his crotch. "Did you enjoy the little vibrations made when the fabric rubs together?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Did you enjoy it when another body was pressed against it?"

Reed just nodded.

"It must be hard," I purred. "All those young lovers riding the Phallic Express to Saffron City for a night of hot, sweaty sex, and you have to look at tickets. It is hard, isn't it?"

"Very hard ma'am."

"I think that what you need is treatment, Mr. Reed."

"Treatment, ma'am?"

"Of course. This is your first time. We can't fire a loyal employee for one little transgression can we? No. We need to help him over_come_ this little affair, so he can to continue to service the company and his superiors."

"Yes,…" he tried to agree, but I cut him off by pressing my lips against his. I rubbed his crotch and was amazed how long his thing was.

"You're not going to further disgrace that uniform by having sex in it, are you?"

"No Ma'am!" he replied as he tried to undress and kiss me at the same time. His thing measured three of my hand widths long. I dropped the trench coat and guided him into me, but he came before I had taken all of him.

He slumped backwards into the chair. "You are not going to be much service if you come so easily."

"I'm sorry ma'am," he puffed.

A rattle of the door diverted my attention. The door opened and I ordered, "You are late Mr. Thatch. Now get in here and close the door." The other fare inspector obeyed. I gave Ms. Nozomi a wink as the door closed. "Mr. Reed has already confessed for his lewd actions. Now it's your turn!"

In twenty minutes I had trained them to last for at least five minutes. At one point when I had both of them inside me, Jean came in and took a few photos and left. As the train neared the station, I left them naked and exhausted in the control room. I had put my trench coat back on and returned to Ms. Nozomi. "I'll be in touch," I commented as I replaced her i.d. badge to her lapel.

Jean and I gathered our bags and made our way to the exit. The train stopped, the doors opened and we followed the crowd outside. I ventured a peek into the rear control room where the naked fare inspectors were sleeping, then beckoned Jean to do the same. "Should we wake them up?" she asked. I nodded, so Jean shook them awake with her telekinesis. Mr. Reed blinked and looked around. Jean and I waved as a few other women gathered around. Mr. Reed threw himself to the floor to hide and dragged Mr. Thatch behind him. As Jean and I rejoined the departing crowd I, released Ms. Nozomi from her bindings.

"Are we really going shopping?" asked Jean.

"Of course, I don't have a thing to wear," I replied with a laugh. "Let's also drop off Ms. Nozomi's clothes for dry cleaning." In the great underground shopping mall next to the train station, we found a dry cleaner for Ms. Nozomi and bought a new trench coat for Jean. "Are you going to put it on?" I dared.

Jean removed the tags and put in on. After she twirled around, she gave me a look of, "So?"

"I mean, wear it like I'm wearing yours." Jean looked at me blankly. I noted a lack of security cameras in the vicinity, so I concentrated and made everyone, other than Jean, look away as I flashed in the mall.

"Sensei," she hissed.

I buttoned up the coat then took a deep relaxing breath. "That was much easier on the train since most people were facing away."

"I think that you're some sort of exhibitionist," whispered Jean.

"I am not. I try very hard to not let people see me. Just like mountain climbers try hard not to fall down. Now, we need to go to the Pokemon Center and make inquiries. If that doesn't give us any leads, then we'll try the police."

We went to the Pokemon Center, but, in a city as big as Goldenrod, unusual is almost normal. Since there wasn't anything extremely wrong or perverse there was no news to be had. The police didn't have any reports of note, or any details that they could share.

Jean suggested, "Maybe the rail company has surveillance videos we could look at. You do know someone on the inside."

I called up the Marking Map feature on my Poketch and located Rotom. We hailed a cab and traveled to a quieter end of town and stopped in front of a twenty story condo tower. After we got out of the cab and paid, Jean pointed to the subway entrance and said, "That would have been cheaper. Does she live here because it's near the subway, or did they put in the subway because she lives here?"

"Ask her yourself, she's… home in the penthouse," I replied as I felt Rotom's presence. What few locked doors there were didn't slow down this pair of psychics, so we easily made our way to the top. Jean and I entered the penthouse apartment, and followed Rotom's trail to the pool room. A third of the floor was dedicated to a swimming pool that contained Ms. Nozomi, Lapras, Cloyster and Dewgong.

"We meet again, Sabrina," said Ms. Nozomi as she rolled and floated on her back. She was wearing nothing.

"Sandra Nozomi the Ice Princess: First runner-up at the Johto Conference," I replied.

"You've done your homework."

I held up the wrapped clothes and replied, "I've also done your laundry."

"Come in, the water is nice and cool; perfect for a hot summer day. Will you be taking your Rotom back now?" she asked as she climbed out of the pool.

I gave a little whistle and Rotom came out and grounded himself in the water puddle at Sandra's feet. "Rotom rot om," explained the little one as it shook off the water and floated up.

"You haven't done your homework, Sandra. You have two hidden cameras and one hidden microphone in this room. Do you enjoy yourself that much, or do you have a secret admirer?"

"You shouldn't be surprised by the use of a camera to get what you want," retorted the Ice Princess.

I cocked my head and Rotom floated off to the rest of the apartment. When it came back and informed me, I replied, "There is a problem with having a lot of cameras."

"What?"

"How do you know if all of them are yours?"

"What is this going to cost me?" asked Sandra.

"I'll tell you what I found, and you tell me what it's worth." I followed Rotom to the living room and laid the dry cleaning on the couch. "Do you have your cameras on all the time, or only when you're having guests?"

Sandra followed while wrapped in a towel and replied, "Only when guests come."

"Rotom, some light please." Rotom lit up the room as it made many little discharges while it floated in the view of a hidden camera. I covered my eyes with my hands and watched with my mind. The light show registered in the minds of Sandra and Jean, but there was another. "You two better leave the room and don't watch." I blindfolded myself with a handkerchief then did my best to put on a striptease. Since all I was wearing was the trench coat, I mostly played peek-a-boo with the camera. I found the human mind that was watching me. "I'm so lonely here in this apartment with only two sexy women," I said to the camera and heard through my viewer's mind.

"Rotom," I called mentally, "let's make him puke. Jean, wait for me in the pool room."

My Pokemon tripled the frequency of its flashes and randomly varied the color. I jumped on the couch so I would be closer to the camera. When my watcher's mind went white, I teleported to his location, grabbed him by an earlobe, teleported to Jean's location and dropped the naked man in the pool.

He trashed, gasped for air and scrambled for the edge. "Do you know this person, Sandra?"

"Arnold," she replied.

Arnold didn't have much success at swimming, so I telekinetically lifted him above the pool. The cool water had a serious damping effect on his recent arousal.

"Arnold, what have you been doing? More to the point: how long have you been watching?" asked Ms. Nozomi. "Did you plan on blackmailing me?"

"No Ms. Nozomi, I would never do that to you," croaked the shivering man who curled up for warmth and modesty.

"Amazing, just amazing," I mused out loud. "With hundreds of hours of hentai and porn available, why is it that some people have to go through all that trouble to peep? Why is it Mr. Arnold that when caught, people like you claim that, 'I didn't mean any harm' or 'I was just watching out for you'? Why can't you just come out and say, 'Sandra Nozomi is so damn hot. Nothing gets me off like watching her swim naked in that frigid water. The way her nipples perk up just makes me so hard.'? Why can't you say that Mr. Arnold? You've been watching her for a while; you know she doesn't have a long term relationship."

"Hey!" interrupted Sandra.

"Do you?" I countered.

"Well, no, but…"

"So here she is; the giant blonde sexbomb of South Goldenrod City alone in her apartment and you couldn't find some reason to offer her your services like a man. Instead you sneak around and watch her like a Rattata."

"I'm sorry Ms…" Arnold started to sob, but I dumped him in the pool.

I lifted him out again. "Save your apologies. Sob, sob, sob," I mocked. "If you had any balls, she would have sucked you off. But no, the only women that will have anything to do with Mr. Arnold are the ones that are as shallow as his Plasma TV. And stop crying!" I dumped him into the pool and held him under for a three count.

"Sensei?" Jean asked nervously.

I yanked the worm out of the water and dumped him at my feet. "Rotom, we're taking another trip. We're going back to Mr. Arnold's apartment, where he is going to erase every file, disk and video tape he owns."

"P p please no," he stammered.

"I think that's being merciful considering what I can erase. You think that Ms. Nozomi is to be idolized? You think she's a powerful and respected figure? Well, I'm worse. I destroyed people's lives, minds and careers before I was ten. Don't make me go back to the person I was."

"Yes, ma'am; very merciful," he quickly agreed, so I teleported us back to his apartment. In the matter of ten minutes, and with Rotom's 'help', all records of Sandra Nozomi and me were destroyed. Mr. Arnold looked relived when he finished.

"Good job," I commented. "So there are no records, video or audio of me in Ms. Nozomi's condo?"

"No, ma'am."

"Good, now Sandra can deal with you herself." I grabbed him by the ear again and teleported back to the other condo. I dumped him on the floor. "The records have been destroyed," I announced, "and he has explained how he tapped into your video system. What will you do with him now?"

"You seem to be in charge; what would you do?" Sandra replied.

"Personally, I'd tie him to a chair and let him watch as I made love to you all night. Then in the morning I'd wipe his memory clean and dump him naked on the street."

"We could turn him over to the police," offered the more reasonable Jean.

I brandished a CD as I offered, "I did save some of his records, so the police can use it as evidence."

"When? How?" stammered Mr. Arnold.

"Wrong question, Mr. Arnold. The correct question is, 'What?' What will I do to you if images of me or Ms. Nozomi are made public? What will I do to you if you start this all over again? Those are the questions that will wake you up from your wet dreams and make you sweat."

I had to use my telekinesis to keep his puddle of fresh urine from running into the pool.

"Mr. Arnold, I think it would be best if you return home for now. Report to my office tomorrow morning at 10; we need to discuss what type of future you will have with the company," instructed Ms. Nozomi.

Mr. Arnold picked himself off the floor, covered his shame with both hands and skittered to the door. "Um?"

"I'm not giving you the coat off my back!" I shouted down the hall.

Sandra took off her own towel and wrapped it around Mr. Arnold's waist.

"Ms. Nozomi?" he asked.

"You're not seeing anything new, are you?" she asked.

"No Ms. Nozomi."

"Now get out of here before she changes her mind," said Sandra as she opened the door and Mr. Arnold ran out. She closed the door and asked, "So what brings you here, other than my laundry?"

"I need to ask for two favors," I replied.

"Two?" asked Jean.

"You 'ask' for favors?" retorted Ms. Nozomi.

"I need access to National Rail security footage for Wednesday night, for Saffron station, Goldenrod Station and the train cameras," I stated. "I also need to sleep…" I blacked out. I vaguely remember being carried.

When I woke, I felt the silky smooth sheets against my skin and a warm and cozy comforter on top of me. I snuggled up into a ball and dreamed of floating on a cloud.

"You are the most unusual overnight guest I have ever had," commented Sandra.

I opened an eye. The soft light from the hallway gave a gentle illumination for Sandra, who was bundled in a fuzzy robe and sitting in a chair.

"You haven't 'had' me."

"Ha ha. Why did you do it?"

"Do what? I've had a long day," I replied as I closed my eye.

"Why did you sniff out Arnold?"

"Because I do not want to be photographed; I like my privacy."

"Even though you did it with two fare inspectors on a train?"

"Sorry about that," I yawned.

"Sorry?"

"They both believe that you were the person that took their virginity on the train. Mr. Reed will be coming around to your office soon for further treatment." Before Sandra could stammer her questions, I stated, "I am psychic. A man usually doesn't focus on the woman's identity during his first time; he has a different thing on his mind. If it's any consolation, Mr. Reed is well hung. And thank you for letting me use your bed."

"Too bad you didn't take me up on my bet," she said.

"I told you, you are not getting off that easily."

"What's your price?"

"You can't afford it. Good night."

"If anyone else had said that, I'd know they were lying. What is the price?"

"You have to say, 'please'," I replied with another yawn.

"That's it? 'Please'? What kind of a price is that?"

I opened both my eyes. "The rumors about the Ice Princess are true. She is cold and heartless. I did my homework when I was at the Pokemon Center:

"Sandra Nozomi, a.k.a. The Ice Princess; Never won a two-on-two tag battle; Participated in three early in her career, then never again. After a second place finish in the Johto Conference you went to Goldenrod University on a basketball and academic scholarship. Played basketball for two years and quit. Performed an internship for National Rail and got a scholarship soon after, then an entry level position.

"That was the public story. Shall I guess the private story?" Sandra clutched her robe tightly. "You were tall at a young age. When other girls were short, cute and sweet, you were tall, strong and awkward. You realized that you could fix the awkward part. You became stronger both physically and emotionally. But you didn't realize that you became hardened emotionally. You couldn't stand the presence of boys your age, because they were weak and feared you. You became a loner, thus you became the Ice Princess. If Prima hadn't already made a place for herself in the Elite Four, you would have been the Ice Queen.

"The ice in your heart prevented you from reaching your full potential as a Pokemon trainer, so you went to school to find yourself. Your height made you a must have for any basketball team, but you chose Goldenrod, the school with the worst record. But at Goldenrod you found your career path: Business. A career where your icy heart and burning ambition could take you far, until you met a petty manager who stood in your way. Just one simple gatekeeper stood between you and all your dreams. You used the thing that you never had a use for, your sexuality. You provided him with a little service and he got you an internship. You provided another with some service and you got a scholarship.

"One day you ran across a man who wanted more than a little service. You gave him his favors, but he gave you nothing. Thus you made sure to get receipts in the form of photos, recorded phone calls and sleazy emails. He betrayed you; you destroyed him. Then you came to the attention to the real power players. No longer are you a manger, you have become a director and now a vice president."

"How can you understand? You're…" replied Sandra as she held in the tears.

"Special? Gifted? I hate those words. There were always euphemisms for 'dangerous'. I demolished a house when I was three. I never knew at the time how hard my father and grandmother worked to keep my powers in check and to keep the authorities from locking my away. I'm still on a watch list from several government organizations."

"When did you work out my life story?" asked Sandra.

"Five minutes ago. As soon as I reminded you about your teen years, then rest came gushing forth. And before you complain about me poking around in your mind, I did what any psychiatrist would have done in twenty sessions and for a lot of money."

"Do you hate me for…?" she tried to ask.

"Being weak? The other me would. I don't. You made your choice, and you thought it was correct at the time. What gets me mad is how Mr. Arnold can use the special talents that he's developed to destroy other people's lives and he gets a restraining order and his computer taken away."

"You look out for your own?" she asked. I stared at her. "Jean told me that's why you two came to Goldenrod. There was some trouble with a psychic in Saffron City and you think she came here."

"You should understand," I replied. "You got rich through hard work and sacrifice. You clawed your way up the corporate ladder. But as soon as you display your wealth, you're hated by people that can't be bothered to show up to work on time, yet they assume that they should be rich and not you."

"Anyone can be rich, but not everyone can be a…"

"Psychic? Yes they can, anyone can be a psychic. Look at an old married couple as they complete each other's sentences. Look at any Pokemon trainer who knows what her Pokemon is feeling. Everyone can be psychic; it's easier than being rich. But who is willing to train themselves every waking moment for sixteen solid years? What's the result? I need friends to tell me how to make a sandcastle, because I never did. I never had sleepovers, played dress-up, tried on makeup, hung out at malls or had a crush on a boy. I had one thing: power. But what good was it?"

"I'm sorry. I know you don't want pity, but as you said, I understand your situation," offered Sandra.

I smiled. "There's hope for you yet," I beamed. "When was the last time you felt sympathy, other than for Mr. Arnold?"

"It has been a long time," admitted Sandra. "Did you really ask your friends how to make a sandcastle?"

"This summer," I replied. "Ask Jean if you don't believe me. Do you have friends Sandra?"

"One or two…"

"Would you like another?"

"Just like that?" she asked.

"You played out your life story in your head for me to watch. Based upon what I saw, I find you to be an interesting person and someone I want to call friend. That is if you're willing to call a teasing, sex crazed, psychic, blackmailing, control freak a friend?"

"Can't think of a better friend to have," replied Sandra.

"Good. Now come into bed so I don't feel guilty for making you sleep in a chair."

"Umm…"

"You're my friend. I won't make you do anything that you don't want to do. I'll even sleep with Jean, if you want your bed to yourself," I offered.

"You're chaste with your friends, but have sex with your enemies? You're a weird one Sabrina."

"So says the woman with three hidden cameras in her bedroom. Besides if you crawl in this bed and just go to sleep, you're just as strange as me."

Sandra got up, turned off the hall light and slipped into bed. I felt her naked flesh against my own, so I moved to the edge of the bed laid on my back with my arms crossed over my stomach. "Good night," I wished.

"Night," she replied.

I slowed my breathing to a deep rhythm. I shaped a dream about making sand castles.

"Did you ever make a snowman?" asked Sandra, which snapped me awake.

"No. Well, not with my hands. I used telekinesis once to make a giant Abra out of snow. His tail and ears kept falling off."

Sandra giggled, "So what did you do?"

"I crushed the snow until it became ice. I was not a gentle person if I didn't get my way."

"Sounds like you were stuck on three years old."

"That is one way of putting it."

Sandra rolled on to her side so she faced me. "I should warn you about sleepovers. You talk and giggle all night and never ever get any sleep."

"Except you have two undersexed men to deal with in the morning, and I have a troubled psychic to find."

"Meanie."

Hoping that was the end of the discussion, I rolled to my side and curled into the fetal position. Sandra spooned me and whispered, "I bet you can't get me off in under an hour." She pressed her breasts into my back.

With my mind I searched for every nerve cluster in Sandra's pubic region and stimulated them. She gripped my shoulders. "Do you want me to do that for an hour just to see if you break?" I asked.

"Please…" she pleaded.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Can't you see it in my mind?" she almost sobbed.

At that point I was reminded of my Grandmother's wisdom: Whether we read minds or books, we read them from our point of view. I had read Sandra's mind to mean, 'I never climax,' as a boast. The truth was, 'I have never climaxed,' as a confession of shame.

Sandra rolled on top of me. "If saying please will do it, then please, please, please make me come," she sobbed as she rubbed her mound against my rear.

"You are crushing me," I mumbled through the pillow. I cut off my psychic stimulation of her, so she rolled on her back and filled the void with her fingers.

I put a hand on hers to stop her manic fingers. "Please help me," begged Sandra.

"I'll do my best," I promised and sealed it with a gentle kiss. I crawled out of bed. "Would you get up for a moment?" The beautiful blonde loomed in the corner as I rearranged the sheets and comforter. "Now lean back and make yourself comfortable."

Sandra got back on the bed and I helped to prop her up with the pillows. She was tense and tried to make herself small. "Last chance to back out," I offered. She shook her head. I broadcasted my thoughts directly to hers, "You can't remember yesterday or any day before. You can only remember that my name is Sabrina and you asked me to make love to you."

"Sabrina…" she moaned.

"That's right. Where do you want me? Show me."

Sandra moved her hands to her mound and replied, "Here. Make love to me here."

"It's too dark for me to see, Sandra." I place my hands on her thighs and said, "Take my hands and show me where they should go."

Sandra took my by the wrists and placed my palms where hers were moments ago. I rubbed her mound and played with her fine blonde hair. "Do you enjoy this," I asked.

"Yes."

"Do you want more?"

"Please…"

I continued to block her long term memory as I probed her first with my fingers, then with my tongue. I let my subconscious take over the physical love making, while I rerouted all of Sandra's bad memories to a small corner of her subconscious. Sandra's conscious mind was a white hot fire of sensations, which made holding back her past easier with every moment.

A faint cry of, "Hurry," leaked into my mind.

"This isn't something you hurry. This is something that you enjoy. This is something you do till exhaustion," I mentally replied.

"Sensei, come here," came the thought again.

"You'll get your turn Jean, but I have to show our gratitude to our hostess."

"It's Miss Kay! She's only the TV! Hurry UP!" Jean's thoughts snapped me out of my trance and threw me off the bed. I limped and skipped my way into the living room. Jean was bundled up on the couch. "Isn't that her?" she asked.

I blinked as my eyes adjusted to the light. Jean was watching In the Studio with DJ Mary, which was the video recording from her radio program. DJ Mary and her guests all wore headphones. The woman had the same long brown hair as Miss Kay, plus a bubbly personality.

DJ Mary asked, "Last year, your son won the Indigo League Championship, this year he won the Indigo Conference. What's next for Ash?"

The TV identified our target as Delia Ketchem, who replied, "He's been talking about turning professional, but right now I think he has his honeymoon on his mind."

"Indeed," added Professor Oak (the other guest). "After all the activity of the wedding and reception, Ash and Misty need to get away."

"Boy, I'll say," agreed DJ Mary. "The wedding packed the Cerulean Gym."

"Ash did make a lot of friends on his Pokemon Journey," pointed out Delia Ketchem.

"Since this is Pokemon themed show, tell us about your Pokemon Delia," said Mary to change the subject.

"Mr. Mime?" she asked, slightly startled.

Jean and I looked at each other. "That must be our Miss Kay," I said.

Jean nodded but said, "Did you drool all over yourself?"

I felt around my mouth and chin and found it to be wet and sticky. I sniffed my fingers and said, "It's not mine."

"And it not drool," added Sandra who crossed her arms over my shoulders and down my chest. "Did you find your psychic?" Sandra looked at the television and said, "Delia Ketchem, mother of the two time champion Ash Ketchem?"

"Looks like it," replied Jean.

"Are you absolutely sure?" Sandra pressed.

"We won't know until we meet her in person, but I am very confident she's the one," I stated.

"Good," replied Sandra. Jean and I did our best to look at Sandra who added, "You know who she is and where she lives. Now you can come back to bed."

"To sleep?" I asked.

"You wish. I've got ten years worth of sex to make up for." Sandra shifted her arms and picked me up. "Tell you what, this time I'll be on top," she offered as she carried me back to her bed.

"Have fun you two," called out Jean.

We did…

To be continued…


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Lemon Warning: If you don't know what a lemon is or you know you're not supposed to read it, then don't.

Author's note: This story takes place at the same time as Return to Reef Island.

Sabrina's Journal

Party Crashers

Part 2

Friday morning. On a typical Friday morning I wake up early to go to the Saffron Gym. Every hour of the day was part of the countdown to the weekend. Like many people, I would spend the day thinking about relaxing after the day was done, or more recently think about fun with my friends. This was not such a Friday morning.

An alarm clock buzzed loudly from the nightstand, only to be silenced (forever) by a well placed axe-kick. The owner of the long and sexy leg was Ms. Sandra Nozomi, a vice president for National Rail, former Pokemon trainer and blonde Amazon. At the time the former Ice Princess was at the other end of the bed and grinding my mound with the glacier of her body. Last night I psychically taught her to enjoy sex, instead of using it to grease the gears of corporate progress. She had enjoyed it for the last five hours and at the moment she was trying to make this last one last for the rest of the day.

I didn't know if it was good for her, because I blacked out. Jean woke me later. "Is she gone?" I moaned.

"She left for work ten minutes ago," replied Jean a close friend and teacher at the gym.

I sounded the retreat, "Let's get the hell out of here," as I crawled out of bed.

"Do you want breakfast?"

"I wanna go home, now."

"Then let's get you cleaned up first," offered Jean as she helped me to the bathroom. I scrubbed myself with a soapy towel while Jean hosed me off. Five minutes later, I was dressed and out the door. "You're limping sensei," commented Jean as I reached for the elevator call button.

"You'd limp too, if you had sex with that Amazon," I retorted. "I think she dislocated my hip. Why didn't you help out?"

"You were having such a good time, I didn't want to intrude," teased Jean as she carried our overnight bags.

"I'll get you for that. Somehow, I'll get you." The elevator arrived, we entered and I slumped against the wall.

The next thing that I remembered was staggering out the lobby and onto the main street. "Do you want to take the subway?" asked Jean.

"TAXI!" I shouted as only a psychic can. Every car and truck on the street stopped in fear. Jean cheerfully waved to the nearest empty cab, which collected us. Again I blacked out. "Wake me when we get there," I mumbled.

I dreamed of yesterday's encounters on the train: The announcement for the Indigo Plateau; the stripping and teasing of Sandra. Something jostled me from my sleep. "Where are we?"

"We're almost to the station," replied Jean.

"Then let's get the first train for home."

"We are on the train for home," corrected Jean. "You've been out of it since the taxi."

"Then keep up the good work," I replied as I let myself slip away again. When I awoke I was in my own bed. My Poketch was beeping away on the nightstand. I checked it and found twenty-three text messages, fifteen voicemails and six photos all sent from Sandra. It was only noon. I sent back a text, "I returned home. Last night was great, but my body feels broken. Let me heal, and we'll do it again."

I sent all of her messages to a new folder marked, "Amazon", and then checked for anything else. There were reports on the repairs to the love hotel room whose destruction started this adventure. Messages from the lawyer requesting authorization for donations to charity and other corporate things filled the inbox.

After I yawned, Jean called out, "You awake?"

"Barely."

Jean walked into my bedroom and offered me a cup of tea. "What's next sensei?"

"I need Yuki, two bus tickets to Pallet Town and disguises," I replied.

"Disguises?" questioned Jean.

"I've pushed myself recently by using telepathy to disguise myself. If I confront Ms. Ketchem on her home turf, then I will need all my psychic reserves to resist."

"Why Yuki?" asked Jean.

"She's better at disguising herself than you. Sorry."

"Don't be. I just thought that you would take Yuki so you could work out your relationship in light of recent events with the Amazon Sandra."

"Uh?" was all I could ask.

"Since you didn't respond to Sandra's calls and messages, she sent messages to the gym and then to me. Finally I told her that you had passed out and that I'll send a message as soon as you're conscious."

"Am I in trouble?" I asked.

"A lover in Kanto and another in Johto: One is a sex crazed executive; the other is a repressed psychic with identity issues. Trouble is using Flamethrower at a gas station, this is worse."

I pulled the covers over my head and moaned.

"I'll call Yuki and book you a bus. You better get dressed."

I dragged myself to the bathroom and washed for the ritual of the thing. Afterwards I got dressed while I referred to internet images of the Sinnoh trainer Dawn.

Yuki rapped on the doorframe. I motioned for her to come over to the computer screen and sit down. "Before you start," she said, "what happened yesterday?"

I told her. I told her the general idea that Jean and I went to Goldenrod City, found three people on the train who were affected by Ms. Ketchem, a.k.a. Miss Kay. That evening we went to Ms. Sandra Nozomi's apartment, rooted out a peeping hacker and taught her how to enjoy sex.

"Do you love her?" asked Yuki flatly.

"No, I don't think I do."

"Why did you have sex with her?"

"Sympathy maybe," I replied. "She has what so many women want: beauty, power, strength and success. But she has those things at a cost. I felt that she was like me. I wanted to help."

"Did you enjoy the sex?"

"Sometimes yes; sometimes it was just work."

"Work?" asked Yuki.

"I had to psychically block her long term memories of all of her negative sexual encounters, while at the same time leave access to her longings for sex and physically stimulate her," I explained.

"So you put her in a trance, made love to her and had her believe that it was her first time?" asked Yuki.

"Yes. Am I in trouble?"

"Yes, but not with me," replied Yuki. She poked my crotch and asked, "Is it still sore?"

"Ouch, yes. Stop it," I replied at once.

"Shall I kiss it and make it better?"

"Later…"

"Promise?" she asked. I nodded yes. "Good. Now I see that you are disguising yourself as Dawn. You want me to be the tomboy Zoey?"

"That's the idea," I replied as I fixed my hair.

Yuki was fitting on an orange wig as she asked, "Why?"

"Zoey and Dawn are friends of Ash Ketchem and his mother Delia Ketchem. We'll use these disguises to move about Pallet Town without raising suspicion."

"Good plan," replied Yuki. "Is there any other reason that you picked this pair?"

"I met them recently."

"Socially?"

"They were using the facilities down below."

"Did they destroy a room in your love hotel like Miss Kay?" asked Yuki as she changed pants.

"No. I had a peeping tom who disrupted the security shielding, so I taught him a lesson."

Yuki put on a jacket and sunglasses and said, "So part of the disguise is that were lovers."

"Zoey is okay with the idea, but Dawn has a lot of issues," I recalled.

"So I get to be the dominant, self assured masculine role, while you're the pretty girl with repressed feelings and conflicting emotions?" asked Yuki. I nodded. "Good thing that you went to Goldenrod, because your confidence is shot."

"Thanks."

"No, according to this website the correct reply is, 'No need to worry'," teased Yuki.

"No need to worry," I repeated.

Yuki called up an audio file and played it. "Try to make it more bubbly," suggested Yuki.

"No need to worry!" I repeated as bubbly and saccharine as I could.

"That's it."

"Great, it's Samantha Bubbles all over again," I grumped.

"Who?"

"I'll tell you later." I walked out to the living room, where Jean was sitting on the couch and watching television. "Where's Mewtwo?"

"Gardening," replied Jean. "Nice disguise, both of you."

"Ahem, Dawn?" prompted Yuki.

"No need to worry!" I bubbled out. "I feel like there should be a little 'TM' at the end of that stupid line."

"There is," pointed out Jean.

"You are kidding me."

"No. Dawn's mother Johanna is in a commercial for the latest trainer tracker application for the Poketch. 'When she says, 'No need to worry,' that's when I worry the most. But with the new Trainer Tracker Application from Poketch, I can keep an eye on her and not worry as much.'"

"I should get you that application, so I know who you're sleeping with," added Yuki.

"Ohh! I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Isn't that enough?" I replied.

"Make it sound bubbly and squeaky and you'll have Dawn," teased Jean.

I stomped out to the garden but couldn't find Mewtwo or Gengar. "Gengar!" I called out.

Gengar floated overhead and beckoned me to climb up on the roof. When I did, I found the roofing material had been replaced by a moss garden and, "Bonsai?"

Mewtwo explained, "Gengar and I thought that we should make use of the prevailing trade winds that come from the south. So I collected some specimens of mountain and coast pines. The moss and rock planters seemed more harmonious than the rubber based material that you had before."

"Three questions: Will it leak? Will it collapse?" I asked.

"No to both. I used the services of a local structural engineer who assessed the situation and approved the load. I then erased his memory and gave him a gift card for his services."

"Then one more question, am I _allowed_ to walk on it?" I asked as I glared at Gengar.

"Gengar," replied Gengar as he floated over to a soft pile of moss and laid down.

"We certainly hope that you do. I found that walking and sitting on the moss to be very comforting. This will be a garden for the senses and we hope that you will appreciate what it has to offer," added Mewtwo.

I gave Mewtwo and Gengar each a, "Thank you," and a kiss. "I'm off to Pallet Town to track down Delia Ketchem."

"Ketchem?" asked Mewtwo. "I have heard that name before."

"Probably you heard of her famous son: Ash Ketchem."

"I have more than heard of Ash, I have met him several times. I consider him an ally. I do not want him harmed; even indirectly through his mother," replied Mewtwo in a mental tone that meant business.

"I owe Ash as well," I replied. "When I was trapped in the darkness of my mind, he was the only one brave enough to save me. I wouldn't want anything to harm him. That's why I have to meet his mother, so I can save her from herself. Or at least prevent her from causing trouble and shaming Ash."

"I believe and trust you. I would go along to help, but Pallet Town is too close to Viridian City and my enemy. My presence there would bring too much attention."

"That's alright. Have fun, just don't spend all my money, or destroy the building." I waved goodbye as I left the roof and collected Yuki. "Before we go, I have something for you."

As I walked to the hallway closet, Yuki quipped, "There is a mixed metaphor."

I took out three half meter long bundles, each tied with a ribbon and bow. "I tied the ribbon and bow with my own hands," I beamed as I handed Jean and Yuki each a bundle.

They both untied the ribbons and pulled out a complicated collection of rods and wheels.

"Thank you Sabrina," replied Jean.

"What is it?" asked Yuki.

I took out my own copy and with a flick of the wrist, nothing happened. I tried again, and again nothing happened but a dull clank. I took the instructions out of my bag and read through it. Then with a flick of the wrist, in the other direction, the tangle of rods snapped into place to form a bicycle.

"See? No need to worry ™," I said with all the squeaky, cute bubbliness I could stand.

Jean and Yuki both got their bikes together on the first try and rode around the living room. "This must be the latest model," commented Jean.

I sounded the charge out the door, "Let's hit the road!" Unfortunately I also hit the elevator door.

"They're called coaster brakes. You pedal backward to stop the bike," said Yuki as she came to a safe stop in the hall. "Honestly, you take this method acting too far. The real Dawn can't be this much of a klutz."

"Then let's get this over with before I need medical attention."

Yuki and I biked over to the bus station just in time to catch the last bus to Pallet Town. We sat in the back and tried not to attract attention. "You gonna tell me about Samantha?"

"Not out loud," I replied mentally.

"Why?" replied Yuki same way.

"Samantha is the very bubbly and very stupid porn star persona I created."

"To star in Sabrina Does Saffron?"

"That's the one. I even wore contacts to hide my eyes and hired an agent to do the thinking for me."

"Why?"

"It was fun. Now it plays 24/7 in the video booths on floor 29. There is such a great feeling having undersexed men fantasize about you."

"Jean's right; you are an exhibitionist," Yuki scolded me mentally.

"Here I was going to ask you to join me in the sequel."

"You've got to be kidding."

"I guess I'll just take a nap and dream of making love to you, since I can't have you in the 'reel' world." I followed it with an audible sniff, then leaned my head on Yuki's shoulder and fell asleep.

"Wake up," ordered Yuki as she shook me. "We're almost there." The bus stopped at the edge of a quaint little village.

"This place looks familiar," I muttered.

"It better, _Dawn_, you should have been here before," hissed Yuki/Zoey. "Do you know where we're going? If you ask for directions, you'll ruin the disguise."

"In a small town where everyone knows everyone, we'll just trigger a memory." I point to the local grocery and walked over. "Hi, I was hoping to buy a few flowers for the Ketchem residence." I said to the grocer who was an older woman. They way her mind raced, she was also the town gossip.

"It's Dawn is it?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am, and this is my friend Zoey," I answered as bubbly as I could.

"Well you just missed her. She and the Professor just got back from a radio interview in Goldenrod City, and then they left again for Viridian City. The Professor mentioned something about a Pokemon Contest on a tropical island. Aren't you a Pokemon Coordinator? Don't you know something about that?"

"Well, I can't say that I know of all the Pokemon Contests in the world," I replied defensively.

"Lucky for Dawn, she has to only worry about one contest at a time," explained Zoey/Yuki. "Is there someone at the lab?"

"Oh yes, Tracy the professor's assistant. That young man works and works for the professor and rarely gets any time off. I bet he's lonely up there. Just him and the Pokemon," suggested the grocer with a nudge of the elbow.

Yuki and I both blushed at the lewd thoughts coming off the woman.

"Would you two help me out and deliver his groceries?"

"No need to worry ™," I replied.

Yuki and I gathered the bags of food and supplies and headed for the famous Pokemon Laboratory of Professor Oak. Away from the grocer, Yuki said, "That was awkward."

"You haven't met my grandma," I replied. "She could make a biker blush and a sailor cry."

"Is that who you take after," commented Yuki. "I've met your parents and you seemed nothing like them. Is this the same grandma whose cure for hangovers is to yell at people?"

"Yup."

"You absolutely take after her then."

"You know, if we're going to be an item, I should introduce you to her," I teased. "Let's see if you come up to her standards for her favorite granddaughter."

Yuki broadcasted a shudder that gave people chills 40 meters away.

"Watch it Dawn, you getting out of character."

I rang to doorbell at the lab and called out, "Groceries for Tracy!"

Moments later footsteps came to the door and a man about my age opened the door. "Dawn? Zoey?" he asked.

"Here," I replied as I thrust two bags of groceries into his face. "Sorry Tracy, but we're in a rush to find Mrs. Ketchem. Is she with the Professor?"

Yuki added to Tracy's burden by giving him an extra bag. "They took the bus to Viridian City this morning so they could take a plane to Maroon Island. Mrs. Ketchem said that she had a surprise for the Professor: something about a Pokemon Contest. Do you know anything about that?"

"No, but if there's a contest, then I'm going to find it and win it," I boasted.

"You have to get there first," replied Yuki/Zoey.

We jogged out of the lab. Yuki whipped out her folding bicycle and zoomed down the hill. True to form, I had to try twice before my bicycle would assemble. I set of after Yuki who was pedaling to the north. "Hurry up, Dawn!" she called out, "and don't forget: to brake you pedal backwards!"

Out of sight of the village, I caught up to Yuki. "Don't forget: I can outrace a motorcycle." I sped past her and left her in a light cloud of dust.

"Hey! You want a Pokemon battle?" called out a young bug catcher.

"Sorry, got to catch a plane," I replied. Instead I caught air, then a mouthful of river water. I thrashed and fought my way to find the surface or the edge or anything. I hit my shoulder against a rock another connected against my head.

I gave up on the disguise and remembered who I was and what I could do. I projected a protective sphere around me then increased its size until I was lifted out of the water. I looked upstream and saw Yuki searching for me near my wrecked bike. I floated over to dry land, recalled the protective sphere and touched down. "I'm okay Yuki!" I shouted, but it echoed in my head.

Yuki biked over and asked, "No need to worry?" When she got closer, she said, "You're bleeding. Sit down." I sat down and focused on healing. I barely noticed the bug catcher approach, nor did I notice the Gyarados that roared out of the water.

"Solrock: Stone Edge!" shouted Yuki as she released her Pokemon. Her psychic type flew into action and knocked down Gyarados in one hit. But the Atrocious Pokemon was still trashing… in pain.

"It's got something stuck in its nose!" shouted the bug catcher. "Weedle: String Shot. Butterfree: Sleep Powder." The young man's Pokemon fearlessly restrained the angry Gyarados enough for him to extract my bike's handlebars from the injured nose. With the handlebars out, Gyarados calmed and even looked grateful.

"You've made a new friend," said Yuki.

The boy taped the water type with a Pokeball and captured it. He walked over to us and asked, "Are you okay?"

"Not so loud," I begged as I clutched my head.

A moment later the boy said, "You didn't have the front wheel locked to the handlebars, that's why you lost control. Would you like me to fix it?"

"Keep the damn thing," I grumped.

"She means, 'Thank you for your help. Would you like to keep the bike since she doesn't want to ride it anymore?'"

"Yeah, that's what I meant."

"Should I go get a doctor?" he offered. "Better yet," he released his new Pokemon into the river, "Let us give you a lift into town." The bug catcher and Yuki helped me on to Gyarados' back and it easily swam into Viridian City. After checking into a local clinic, and getting treated for a mild concussion, we took a cab to the airport.

"Are you sure you want to keep chasing Mrs. Ketchem? Or is your pride driving you on?" asked Yuki.

"Both. I need to know Mrs. Ketchem's intentions. I owe it to her son, to keep her out of trouble."

"Do you want to keep up the disguise?"

"No. Dawn almost got her head cracked. Luckily Yuki and Sabrina saved her sorry ass, again." By the time we made it to the ticket counter, we were Sabrina and Yuki once again. We bought two tickets, and then waited for the flight in a restaurant. We ate a pair of set meals, while I tried to suppress the ringing in my head.

"The pressure changes when you go up in a plane. I bet it'll make your headache worse," warned Yuki.

I just groaned.

Eventually we boarded the plane and my headache did get worse. What psychic reserves I had built up were used to fight the pain and injury. Despite her teasing and anger, Yuki was very comforting and helped me as she could. She brought me out of my trance when we were about to land. "I asked around about Pokemon Contests. There is one on Maroon Island in two weeks. It's a two-on-two Pokemon Battle Tournament for couples. Could that be it?"

"Tracy and the grocer said it was a Pokemon Contest," I reminded Yuki, "I don't think that Tracy would make the mistake of calling a Battle Tournament a Contest." I rubbed my head I on the false hope that it would help. "I'd ask you to be aware of unusual behavior, but…"

"Right now, you are the unusual one," finished Yuki.

"See if you can get us a place to stay in the Pokemon Center."

With Yuki's help I staggered out of the plane and to a cab. Thankfully the Pokemon Center did have room for us. So I crawled onto a bed and waited for Yuki to find information. Nurse Joy came in to check on me, "Shouldn't you be in a hospital?"

"I am."

"A proper hospital for humans," corrected the nurse.

"I should have stayed home and minded my own business," I pointed out, "But pride goeth before a fall off your bicycle." I tried to smile and regretted it. "Do you know anything about a Pokemon Contest in this area?"

"The couple's tournament is a big draw for the locals and tourists. But as I told your assistant, Maroon Island is the center of the Purple Archipelago. There are over a hundred smaller islands with their own contests."

"Do any of them stand out as unusual or special for a tourist?"

"I'm sorry to say that I don't know. When I go on vacation, I go to Sinnoh for skiing." I started to feel faint so Nurse Joy said, "You better lie down and rest a while."

I should. If I was like any other person, then I would lie down and take it easy. For some time now I have been acting like other people: being waited on. I willed my body out of bed and on my feet and marched it to the communication area of the Pokemon Center. I dropped myself in a chair and called the gym.

"Saffron Gym," answered Ivan wearing his usual allergy mask, "Great Sabrina, what is wrong?"

"Hello Ivan. Be a dear and send me my Alakazam and put Jean on the phone."

Ivan scampered off and was soon replaced my Jean's image. When Jean noticed the bandage on my head she asked, "What happened?"

"I fell off the bike and hit my head. We're on Maroon Island. Yuki is looking for clues. Do you know anything about contests in this area?"

"There is a couple's tournament on Maroon Island," she pointed out.

Alakazam's ball materialized in the Ball Transporter.

"Thank you Ivan."

"Do you want me there to help?" asked Jean.

"Unless we know where to go next there isn't much we can do," I explained. "You keep up to date on the latest trends, events and people; I was hoping that could find something from there."

"I'll do what I can," replied Jean.

"Besides, I need someone I can trust over there to keep the 'others' safe. Bye." I turned off the videophone and released Alakazam from her Pokeball.

"Kazam?" she asked.

"Yes, I hurt myself and have a concussion. Will you help?"

"Zam," she replied with a nod.

"What is going on?" asked Nurse Joy. "Why are you out of bed?"

"We are going to fix this concussion. Would you monitor my Pokemon during the process?"

Nurse Joy agreed, so we moved to an examination room where Alakazam was wired up with sensors. Once Nurse Joy felt ready, Alakazam used her Recover continuously then she synchronized herself to me.

If I was a more active person who trained her Pokemon in the wild, then I would be better at this; since I wasn't I took the process slowly. I concentrated the healing energies on the ringing in my ears.

When Yuki returned, the ringing in my ears was gone and the headache was halved. As Nurse Joy examined Alakazam, Yuki said, "I may have a lead on a contest. There is a Come as a Pokemon Contest held on Reef Island and one of the local companies, Tropical Passions, is a sponsor."

"Did you talk to anyone?"

"The store is open by appointment only," explained Yuki. "I wanted to talk to you before making a call."

"Now that my ears aren't ringing, I feel like going."

Jean left to make an appointment and Nurse Joy returned with my Pokeball. "Your Alakazam is fine; she just needs some rest. So should you."

"Do you know anything about Reef Island or its Pokemon Contest?"

"My second cousin works at a research facility there studying Pokemon breeding," offered the perky nurse. "I think the contest is a cosplay event."

Yuki came in and announced, "I got us an appointment in 37 minutes and a taxi is waiting." I fixed the Pokeball to my belt and followed Yuki out and into the cab.

When the taxi came to a stop, I asked, "What is going on?"

Yuki said, "There was a crowd here earlier."

The cab driver mentioned, "There is always a crowd here. Always a crowd of lonely young men…"

The driver let us out and we waited a few minutes by the front door. "A lot of lewd thoughts," whispered Yuki.

An old woman opened the door and let out three young women. Two young men from the crowd joined the giggling ladies and walked away. The old woman turned to us and asked, "Yuki at 6:35?" Yuki nodded, so we were showed inside. "Welcome to Tropical Passions. You can call me Granny Orchid or Granny if you prefer. What are you interested in today?"

The first floors had shelves full of boxes and more shipping boxes were stacked on the floor. "What do you have for sale?" asked Yuki.

"You don't know?" asked Granny Orchid.

"We came for information about the Reef Island Come as a Pokemon Contest. Yuki found a flyer listing you as a sponsor," I explained.

Orchid got nervous and said, "I sponsor a lot of contests: the upcoming tournament, the cosplay event. It's good advertizing.

Yuki had wandered upstairs and called down, "Swimsuits!"

"I've got swimsuits that will flatter any figure, even mine!" Granny said with a wink then hiked upstairs.

I browsed the cryptic boxes on the first floor until the name, "Two Part Moxie," caught my eye. I called up the barcode reader application on my Poketch and scanned all of the boxes.

Yuki called down, "Come up and see this swimsuit."

I climbed upstairs and found Yuki sporting a two piece bikini that enhanced her thin figure with patterns, colors and some padding.

Granny offered me a choice of one piece suits, so I said, "The red one."

"Anything else?"

Yuki and I looked around. I picked out a wide brimmed sun hat; Yuki picked a wrap. We went back downstairs. As Granny started to ring up the sale, I said, "Could I also get a half liter of Two Part Moxie, a pink Wakazashi with leather scabbard, two Blonde Boy Buzz Bombs, and Oran berry flavored sunblock?"

"I have a spare Wakazashi on floor three, but the Two Part Moxie is in 200 ml bottles and, and…," Granny stopped and stared at me. "How do you know all this? Are you cops or are you just teasing me?"

"I have a reputation for teasing, and I suppose you do as well," I said.

"Granted."

"You also seem good at keeping secrets. I'll trust you with a secret if you tell me what really happens on Reef Island," I offered.

"I'm listening."

"I represent the owners of all the companies that make the products that you sell, with the exception of that tea."

"That's my blend," proclaimed Granny.

"What's going on?" asked Yuki.

"You mentioned a third floor," I reminded Granny.

Granny worked her register then motioned for Yuki to go upstairs. I could sense Yuki's blushing two floors away.

"Reef Island," I prompted.

"The secret is in the name, 'Come as a Pokemon'," replied Granny with a wink.

"A cosplay contest," I surmised.

"That's part of it."

"Amateur sex show?" I guessed.

"Bingo."

"What do you need?" I asked.

"Pardon?"

"I see that you're stockpiling supplies. Is there something more that you need or want?"

"You want a list?" asked Granny hopefully as she showed me pages of written lists that included notes on sizes, colors, distributors, etc.

I plugged her computer keyboard into my Poketch and typed in her list.

Yuki slowly thumped down the stairs. I called out, "Did you see the Pink Wakazashi?"

"Yes."

"Good, can you bring it down?" I asked.

"And check out the swimsuits again, dear," added Granny.

I finished the list and asked, "Is that all?"

"That's what Ruth asked me for. My Granddaughter Ruth is sort of in charge of the event, but it's getting away from her."

"Find out what else she needs or wants; just don't use my name," I offered before joining Yuki upstairs.

Yuki was looking through collections of very small swimsuits. I had to assume they were swimsuits; otherwise I would have called them shoelaces. I exchanged the box with the Pink Wakazashi she carried for the red swimsuit I had. "See if you can find this size in see-through or fishnet, preferably red."

I went back down to Granny Orchid who was having a video call. She had written more notes. I stayed out of the monitor's view and read the list and checked off all the things I could provide. Granny read back the checked items to the camera.

"What is this going to cost?" asked the voice from the monitor.

"I need help to find one person who may be there. I'd like accommodations for two, transportation and a private meeting with you to discuss marketing," I answered back.

"You want privacy, yet I have to break that promise to another; that's a hard sell."

"I can get you everything I listed at 20% below wholesale and shipped here tomorrow morning. I can also double your order and buy back any unsold inventory."

"That's really tempting Ruth-chan," commented granny.

"Why are you looking for this person?"

"The person is either a latent or rouge psychic with a great sexual appetite and a disruptive influence on people's inhibitions. I also promised a friend that this person doesn't come to harm or harm others."

"I believe that I know who you are talking about," replied Ruth. After a pause she added, "I very much want to talk to you as well. I would rather discuss the situation with you in private before I release the person's location. I can give you the rest, if you're willing to sleep in my room."

"Do you come with it?" I asked.

"Oh you are a woman after my own heart. My Alakazam will be there in twenty minutes for another shipment, he could transport you as well," offered Ruth.

"That's fine. I'll see you then. Twenty minutes will give me time to work out the details at this end."

As the twenty minutes raced past, Granny and I worked out the shipment and chartered a seaplane to deliver the items by noon the next day. Yuki had found me a red, see-through swimsuit. After she toured the dungeon room in the basement, she was blushing redder than the swimsuit.

Ruth's Alakazam teleported into the center of the room and looked us over. "Granny, how far is Reef Island?"

"Three hundred miles," she replied. "Don't worry; Alakazam can easily take two people."

"I don't doubt that," I replied then released my own Alakazam.

"Zam," greeted Ruth's Pokemon.

"Ala," replied my own.

"Are those boxes going over?" I asked.

Granny nodded.

So with my Pokemon's help, and my own, we teleported ourselves and twelve boxes of 'party favors' to the laboratory of…

"Doctor Ruth Orchid of the Reef Island Pokemon Research Facility," introduced an attractive middle-aged woman. "And you're Sabrina of Saffron City," she added.

"This is Yuki a friend who is assisting me with this investigation. Whatever you can say to me, you can say to her." After the two shook hands, I asked, "Were you expecting me?"

"Not as such. But I believe your target was. That is if your target is Delia."

"Delia Ketchem," I repeated. "I owe a great debt to her son. My other friend also owes several debts of gratitude to Ash Ketchem."

"I understand. Would you two follow me?" Professor Orchid led us through her labs and into a comfortable office.

After we all took a seat, I said, "She was here recently."

Ruth nodded and handed me a notepad which contained notes from the Doctor's interview with Delia Ketchem. "Two days?" I blurted out loud.

"'Two days', what?" asked Yuki.

"She claims that she and her Mr. Mime can have sex for two days nonstop."

"Lucky woman," muttered Yuki.

"I think I just found the problem," I stated. "Mrs. Ketchem had Mr. Mime hypnotize himself to forget the sex. But then later she says that he relapses back into a sex machine. She is inducing a second personality on Mr. Mime."

"Is that dangerous?" asked Orchid.

"Yes," replied Yuki who had her own experience with this. "Phrases like, 'I can't go on living a lie,' come to mind."

"Psychically and emotionally, it is dangerous," I added. "Each personality does not want to switch to the other; yet as they develop, each personality requires a greater push to switch. That switching energy is leaking out and affects other people."

"What can be done?" asked Orchid.

"We would have to integrate both personalities. Take the common themes from both, such as affection for Mrs. Ketchem, and build in the ideas of restraint yet openness. Without knowing more, I'd assume that one Mr. Mime is in a very inhibited, childlike state; whereas the other is very sexually mature."

"We?" asked Yuki.

"We?" asked Dr. Orchid.

"Me, most likely," I corrected.

"Don't get me wrong; I love to go an hour or two with that Mr. Mime," said Dr. Orchid, "But I don't have the same skills you do. My methods are slower."

"I doubt what I could do would be a complete fix of the problem. There will be a long term commitment on Mrs. Ketchem's part. Is she up to it?"

"I believe so. What other choice is there?" replied Orchid.

I shrugged.

"I'll arrange a meeting for tomorrow. Now, about accommodations for the night; my lab is being used all hours of the day and night. If you're willing to lock yourself in a room you can get some privacy," offered Dr. Orchid. "The resort on the main island is booked and in some cases overbooked. Rooms for couples are being used for four people. The cabins are holding four people at a minimum. I don't think that you want to share. There is a camping option."

"Camping?" I asked.

"Four to six tents for couples are clustered and serviced by a bathroom, with shower, facility," explained Orchid.

"Rather nice for just camping," commented Yuki. "Sounds great to me."

"What names should I register you under?"

"Yuki."

"Samantha."

"That's a good alias," quipped Dr. Orchid. "When you get to the registration desk, you'll find a collection of Pokemon masks. I suggest you take a few, since just about every guest wears one to protect their identity."

"Is that normal?" asked Yuki.

"No. But since the event this year is being recorded for charity, we wanted to protect identities as much as possible. Besides, the masks seem to bring out the animal in their performances," Ruth punctuated that line with a wink. "I know I can't stop you, but can I have your promise that you won't use your abilities to violate the other guest's privacy?"

"This mission has become the securing the privacy of Mrs. Ketchem and her son; I promise not to violate the privacy of others. But I can't be responsible if someone screams out their lover's name in the next tent."

"Granted."

"Our things are still on Maroon Island, at the Pokemon Center," pointed out Yuki.

"I could have them sent to Granny's store and Alakazam can fetch them on his next trip," offered Ruth. She looked at our shopping bags and added with a wink, "Besides it looks like you brought some supplies."

Yuki looked into her bag at her swimsuit. I pulled the Pink Wakazashi out of my bag and said, "She means this."

Ruth winked at Yuki and Yuki blushed.

"Do you want to teleport to the resort or take a boat?"

"Boat," I replied.

"Then it will be here in thirty minutes. Let me show you to the dock." As Ruth showed us the little dock facing the main island, her cell phone rang and rang again. Yuki and I sat on a bench as we waited on the dock. Ruth wandered off to deal with business.

"Sabrina, do you like to tease me?" asked Yuki.

"I can't deny that I like to tease, and that you're cute when you blush. Do you not want me to tease you?"

"It's not that bad…"

"Yuki, a month ago you confessed something to me. Do you still feel that way?"

"I realized that Saffron Tower was influencing me, but I still feel attracted to you."

"Yuki, I feel something too. I have relied on you and I've been thinking about you."

"What are we going to do?"

I put my hand on her cheek and turned her face towards mine. I moved my lips so close to hers, I could feel her breath. "Let's do what we feel like," I suggested.

"Are you under Mrs. Ketchem's influence?" asked Yuki.

"I'm under your influence."

Yuki kissed me. I kissed her back. We kissed, caressed and played with each other's tongue until the boat arrived. On the boat we just held each other as we watched the waves and admired the view of the resort island. As we got in the view of the resort, I could see people on watercraft, swimming, sailboarding and sunning themselves on the beach. Most of the people were wearing Pokemon masks.

We made our way to the registration desk. Yuki told the person on the desk, "Yuki and Samantha."

"We are very sorry for lack of space and services," apologized the desk clerk. She took out a map of the island and indicated, "This area around the resort is still a clothing required area. The rest is now clothing optional. There is filming of the 'contest' going on around the island. Since it is for charity, please give them every courtesy possible. There are also various casting calls scheduled if you wish to participate."

I gave Yuki's hand a squeeze and she blushed lightly. We we're given directions to our tent and a selection of masks to choose from. I picked Misdreavus and Yuki picked Charmeleon to hide her blushing. As we walked out and followed the path to our tent, Yuki asked, "Were you teasing me again?"

"About what?"

"Participating in the contest and being filmed."

"I've been filmed before," I mentioned.

We walked past a sign that indicated the beginning of the clothing optional area. A few steps into the palm trees, we saw a naked couple making love in the grass. We walked for ten more minutes until the path opened on a beach. The beach had at least twenty couples and a few threesomes. The most that they wore was a Pokemon mask.

"I don't see anyone making sand castles," I pointed out.

"It's like Saffron Tower turned inside out," commented Yuki.

"We're overdressed."

"Yeah."

I pulled Yuki by the hand back into the cover of the palm trees then undressed.

"What are you doing?" hissed Yuki.

"I don't want to stand out," I replied. "The resort staff are going to be the only people with their clothes on and I don't feel like serving anyone drinks." As I stuffed my clothes into my shopping bag, Yuki grudgingly did the same.

Once undressed, Yuki said, "I don't feel comfortable about this."

"Did you see through my wicked plot to get you naked?" Before she could comment, I pressed my body against hers. I wrapped my arms around her and spoke directly into her mind, "Here you can be Yuki. Don't worry about the image you have constructed. If I promise not to tease you, will you promise to let go? Will you promise to leave Yuri out of this? Will you, Yuki, be with me?"

Yuki kissed me then projected back to mind, "You can't keep your promise."

Later, as we were intertwined in bed I whispered to Yuki, "What we're doing is very important."

Yuki was nibbling on my ear. She stopped and asked, "What's the punch line?"

"If we're going to confront a woman who can release people's inhibitions, then the best way to prepare is to have no inhibitions," I explained.

Yuki slid her body down mine enough so her lips hovered over my own. "This is just an excuse so you can use that Pink Wakazashi," she whispered.

"No it's not," I countered before kissing her on the lips.

"Yes it is," she argued. "But I'm not letting you get off so easily. I think I want to be the tease for a while." She slid further down my body and kissed me between the breasts. "That's right you spoiled rich girl. I'm going to tease you. I'm going to make you enjoy camping, shared bathrooms and outdoor showers. You better learn to enjoy take-out, dehydrated foods and my cooking."

The real Yuki started to emerge. Not the Yuki who hid behind the image of Yuri, her brother, that she constructed years ago; but the Yuki who journeyed from Hoenn to Saffron City to be near me. She came to me to learn and to grow as a psychic. At that moment she had journeyed between my legs and was learning how to use her tongue. I whispered, "You learn fast."

She stuck two fingers in to hold her place as she said, "Remember who wears the pants in this relationship."

"You not wearing anything at the moment," I countered. "And you forgot who you're making love to." I reached out with telekinesis and touched her in the same spots she touched me. I focused my mind only on the feelings in my body and touching hers. Yuki mentally sent back the feelings in her body.

Time and space seemed meaningless. At some point Yuki turned around so we mimicked each other's movements in a 69. I couldn't say how long we were at it until we quit from exhaustion. We wound up cuddling and listening to night sounds of the jungle. The night sounds turned out to be moaning from the next tent.

"You're right, this place is like the Tower," I quipped.

Yuki squeezed my rear as she joked, "Sex, sex, sex: is that all these people think about?"

"With the amount of time and money it takes to get here; I would spend the entire time thinking of sex," I retorted.

"You think of sex all the time anyway."

"No I don't," I countered. "Sometimes I think of business."

"Your business is sex."

"Sometimes I think of the gym."

"Maybe we should have sex in the gym," Yuki offered.

"No. I don't want the gym or the students involved."

"Ivan jerked himself off in your office."

"No; I did that," I corrected.

"And Brad and Becky did it at least once, perhaps several times."

"The kids in Jean's class?" I asked.

"Those kids are 15 and 16; all the parts work."

"How did you find out?"

"They're in Jean's telekinesis class and not my telepathy and shielding class."

I changed the subject, "Since we have work to do in a few hours, let's try to get some sleep."

"How?" Yuki asked as her hands got a little more intimate.

"Just like this," I said telepathically. "Let your body rest while we go out to play." I let my astral form step out of my body and held out my hand for Yuki to follow.

"Natu?" asked my Pokemon as he left his Pokeball.

"Will you watch over us?"

"Nat," agreed the little one as he bobbed his head.

Yuki and I flew through the tent wall and floated above the island.

"Let's explore!" I cheered.

"There's a party going on over there," observed Yuki.

We floated over the palms towards the bright lights and loud music of an outdoor dance party. People were in varies stages of undress and drunkenness. Yuki and I tried to mimic the moves of people on the dance floor. Invisible to the others, we mocked the dancers and teased the drunks. Everyone was having a good time. Yuki and I laughed together. A young woman, slight of frame, was laughing as well and she could see us.

"Someone is watching us," I said to Yuki as I pointed to the woman in a Meditite mask.

"It's your imagination," replied Yuki.

I flew around the other partygoers and right at Ms. Meditite, who ducked out of the way. Yuki became defensive and established her clothed Yuri persona. I floated down and next to the watcher and asked, "Care to explain how you can see us?"

The watcher stared straight ahead and watched the dance floor.

"So now you play dumb?"

"So she really can't see us?" added Yuri mockingly.

"I guess not."

"Good. Then she won't see me do this," said Yuri before he tore away his clothes. Yuki's image became that of a young man with an oversized penis.

I was staring at the watchers eyes and saw them glance at Yuri, but I said, "Nope. She can't see you." I floated behind the woman and pulled at the side strings on her bikini.

Yuri floated up to her and said, "Ever do it with a ghost?"

"You're not a ghost," she said out loud as she tried to slap my hands away from untying her clothes.

"Anabel?" I asked

"Sabrina?" she replied.

"What are you doing here?" we asked simultaneously.

"I'd say you were molesting people," hissed Anabel.

"And I'd say that you were spying on someone," I retorted.

"I'm keeping an eye out for naughty astral projections." She turned to Yuri and said, "Don't kid yourself; you only wish you could be as big as him."

"Him, who?" asked Yuri.

"She was spying," I added. "It should be easy enough to figure out whom. We'll just check all the men and find to one with the biggest _penis_."

"I'll search over here," offered Yuki. I searched the other half of the dancers. None of the males measured up to Anabel's standards. "Did you find him?" asked Yuki.

"No. Maybe the empath is kidding herself."

"Let's check the hot tub!" offered Yuki, which caused Anabel to flinch a little. In the hot tub were three couples and all wore masks. The bubbles and seating arrangement made it impossible to determine who Mr. Big was.

"Anabel is nervous," I pointed out. "He has to be one of these three."

"Or she's a good liar," countered Yuki.

"She's too goody-goody to be a good liar."

"Did you say something Misty?" asked one of the three men.

Misty replied by shaking her head and snuggling closer. Yuki and I turned white and slithered away. We looked about and found that Anabel had left the scene. I searched about and followed her. "Go away," she hissed.

A passing couple just thought that Anabel was drunk and talking to the palms.

"Who's the mystery man?" teased Yuki.

"I'm not going to tell you, and I won't let you hurt him," replied Anabel defiantly.

"Us hurt him? I think not. I think that it's you Ms. Empath that wants to hurt him," I countered.

"I'd never hurt A…" she stopped but it was too late.

"Oh, I've heard that line before. Every stalker, peeping tom and obsessed groupie has their own little phrase of, 'I'd never hurt him' or 'I love him more than anything'."

"You said she was a goody-goody," said Yuki.

"I guess I was wrong. You came all this way to spy on Ash on his honeymoon? Have you no shame?"

"Ash Ketchem is Mr. Big?" asked Yuki. "How would you know that he was hung like a Machamp?"

"Maybe Anabel isn't the Salon Maiden anymore," I teased. "Is your new title the Salon Slut? Did you have him for a badge?"

"No!" she screamed. "Leave me alone!" Anabel ran off into the jungle. We didn't bother to follow. Instead we floated back to our real bodies.

"Who's Anabel? Other than the 'Salon Maiden'," asked Yuki.

"A rival, I suppose. When Scott formed his Battle Frontier he recruited strong trainers to be gym leaders. Anabel was one trainer that he picked. She may not seem strong, but her ability to communicate with her Pokemon telepathically gave her a great advantage of surprise over her opponents."

"I used the same technique when I was on my Pokemon Journey," noted Yuki. "But if the other trainer had any brains, they'd just battle my Pokemon and not wait for what I had to say."

"Maybe Scott is just easily impressed." Natu noted our arrival by hopping about. "We'll deal with Anabel later. First priority is Mrs. Ketchem."

"Which one?"

"You're right, there are two of them and they can both take care of themselves. So let's help a certain Mr. Mime find himself and deal with the rest if needed."

"Do we get some time to ourselves?"

I answered by trying to give the most seductive, 'come hither' look an astral projection could. We returned to our intertwined bodies and slept through the clock's first alarm.

Someone from another tent grumbled, "Who sets an alarm clock in paradise?" I shut off the clock before it alarmed again.

"Good morning," I whispered.

"Do you need me with you, or will the two of us put Ms. Kay on the defensive?" asked Yuki.

"Good point," I replied.

"Since that's settled, I'm going back to sleep," yawned Yuki. Before I could argue, she added, "This is my day off, boss."

I crawled off the bed and put on a yukata. "Will you be awake later to join me for lunch?"

"Maybe," she mumbled into her pillow.

"Well Natu, at least you're ready to go to work." Natu hopped onto my shoulder as I left the tent. "Now fly ahead to the lodge and find a secluded spot for me to teleport." I watched the palm trees race past Natu's vision as he flew. "Yes that is a very nice spot sweetie, but I don't climb trees very well. What does it look like on the ground?" A moment later Natu was on the jungle floor and pecking at the soil. I teleported next to him and picked him up. "This is a resort; you don't have to scratch for your breakfast."

While Natu and I ate our breakfast in the lodge, I read through reports on my Poketch. Everything was 'normal' at Saffron Tower. The shipment of products had arrived at Maroon Island and was being transferred to a seaplane. The Goldenrod Electabuzz beat the Saffron Spearows, but in football the Goldenrod Furrets lost in overtime to the Pueltown Rangers.

"Have you seen Alakazam recently?" I asked Natu.

Natu shook his head.

"Alakazam?" I mentally called out. "The last I saw, she was with Dr. Orchid's Alakazam," I commented to Natu. We walked to the dock and teleported to Dr. Orchid's island. Two Machokes were loading boxes onto a charter boat. "Good morning," I greeted.

"Morning," replied the very tan, and slightly butch, female captain.

"Are you aware that a seaplane heavy hauler will be landing around noon?" I asked.

"Yup. I marked out a landing path so she can land safely."

"Is Dr. Orchid available?"

"Well she ain't married; but with Jenny and Joy around it's hard to squeeze into her schedule."

"I'm here to help her with a Mr. Mime," I offered.

Security Officer Jenny came out to the dock, carrying another box. "Hey Jen!" called out the captain. "Did you three wear out Mr. Mime and have to get a professional _service_ call?"

Jenny tossed the box to the captain and led me through into the lab. "Your patient arrived early," she said. She opened door to the comfortable office I visited the night before.

"Delia," explained Dr. Orchid, "I said I wanted to bring in an expert, and I know what you said, but please hear her out."

I took off the Misdreavus mask. Delia Ketchem seemed relieved and not betrayed. "Mrs. Ketchem, I do not want to do anything that will harm you or embarrass your son," I explained. "But in the best interest of your Mr. Mime, I need you to be aware of what you are doing."

Mrs. Ketchem nodded and looked a little sad.

"If what you told Dr. Orchid is accurate and based upon the effects you have had on others, then Mr. Mime is developing a strong second identity and it may be causing you to develop one as well."

"Does this mean that the sex has to stop?" asked Mrs. Ketchem.

"No. It means that you have to stop hypnotizing Mr. Mime to forget."

"Is that all?"

"I would like to examine Mr. Mime to determine how far the second personality has developed," I replied.

"Examine?"

"Mentally observe the switch from one personality to the other."

"So that means you want to watch me and Mimesy have sex?"

"I'll be 'watching' how Mr. Mime's mind switches personalities in the hope of finding the easiest way to integrate the personalities back into one mind. I don't have to be in the same room, if you're uncomfortable."

"I don't mind if you watch," she replied. "I just thought that you wanted to have sex with Mimesy like Ruth. She's practically begging to do it for a half an hour with him." Delia Ketchem stood up and clutched the hem of her kimono. "Is now a good time?"

"Dr. Orchid, do you have someplace waterproof?" I asked.

"That's okay; I'll go do it on the dock," volunteered Delia.

The three of us marched out the dock. Delia disrobed and spread out a beach towel. She held a Pokeball in her hand and asked me, "Ready?"

I sat in the shadow of the building and cleared my mind. I nodded. Delia released her Mr. Mime. He looked skittishly about. When he saw Dr. Orchid, he hid behind Delia. "It's okay Mimesy," she soothed. Mr. Mime realized that his Delia was naked and touched her bare bottom. "Can Mr. Mime come out and play?"

The Pokemon's mind was an eruption of thoughts, experiences and images. I worked for three hours trying to find the slightest connection between the two personalities and strengthen them. At the end of the three hours Delia and her Mr. Mime were still going strong. On the dock were an exhausted and naked, Jenny, Joy and Ruth, as well as three Machokes and a Jynx. My Alakazam teleported in at a low point in the sexual maelstrom. "Get me out of here," I begged. Natu came out of his Pokeball and gave directions back to the tent.

Alakazam helped me into the tent, where I joke, "Yuki, I'm home."

"That's nice dear. Have sex with your patients again?"

I staggered for the bed and collapsed. "No."

"Then why are you covered in that?"

"She and her Mr. Mime did it on the dock. It's going to take a monsoon to wash that place clean. That woman is a monsoon." I wiped off my Poketch to check the time. "In the last three hours, she and her Pokemon exhausted three other women, and four Pokemon. I'd have to build a containment facility for her at the tower before I could let her in the building."

Yuki handed me a damp cloth and asked, "Did you help Mr. Mime with his problem?"

"I did my best. It wasn't easy to find common themes since the second personality was so dedicated to sex. More often I had to awaken pieces of the base personality and overlay them on the second. Then it got worse."

Yuki said, "You're soaking the sheets, how could it get worse?"

"Mr. Mime, via self hypnosis, experienced sex 'for the first time' at least a dozen different times."

"Oh no," sympathized Yuki. "Did each one start another personality?"

"Almost, but I think his subconscious processed them defensively. I need a shower." I staggered out of the tent and to the services tent. I found an empty shower, stripped and scrubbed myself clean. I went back to the tent tired, wet, naked and hungry. "Didn't you threaten me with your cooking last night?"

Yuki handed me a clean yukata and said, "Before lunch, I think we need to go next door."

She helped me out of the tent and across the clearing. At another tent she asked, "May we come in?"

"Yes," replied a familiar voice. Inside waiting for us was Anabel.

"I felt bad about last night," Yuki mentioned, "So I searched and found her here. I apologized for upsetting her. Would you like to do the same?"

"I'm sorry we shattered your goody-goody image," I mocked. "I'm sorry we caught you scoping out a married man. I'm sorry for any harm you did to a woman just to get at her husband's huge cock."

"Sabrina!" scolded Yuki in my mind.

"She still owes me three trillion apologies," I countered out loud. "Three trillion Pokedollars was the size of the government contract I lost. I used what resources I had at the time to find out why. The only answer was, 'based upon the testimony of Anabel, we cannot award the contract to…'. I'll never know why; I'll never know what you said. All I know is that you said it."

Anabel replied, "I'm sorry, but I can't tell you."

"I know that. I also know that the government had three threat levels for human psychics: Empaths, telekinetics and telepaths. Now there is a fourth: me. You can get security clearance. Hell, you can get a government job. Oh I forgot you have a job: spying on me. We better get you out of here Yuki; she'll report you as my accomplice and have you taken away."

"Just rip the answers out of my head, please. If it'll make you stop hating me, then do it," begged Anabel.

"Your mind is poison Anabel. If I take the wrong secret, then my freedom is compromised. Everything that I have done and worked for will be gone in an instant. You pity me so much that you would want me locked away, 'for my own good'?" I spat.

"It's not like that…"

"Not for you. You're safe. People don't fear you. People don't hate you. When they learn about me, then they love you, because you stand between them and me. You're sensitive enough to watch what I do, but not sensitive enough to learn their secrets. That is until they learn that you can do more than read emotions. Have you gotten that far in your training? Are you controlling emotions? Are you here to play Cupid? Did you make me fall in love with you, so you could sell me out to the government? It was bad enough that you betrayed me, but now you want to ruin an innocent and decent man's marriage? So help me Anabel, if you do anything, anything, to get between those two, I'll use every resource I have to destroy you. I will frame you for every pickpocket to murder in Kanto. I'll make the world hate you as much as they hate me. Then every night in our adjoining prison cells, I'll laugh at you, the fallen angel."

I teleported out to sea. I got my bearings and teleported to a small island in the reefs. In the shadow of the two palm trees, I meditated on the crashing surf. The heavy lift seaplane banked overhead and landed. I decided to take the plane back to Maroon Island, so I teleported back to the resort.

As I waiting in the crowded and bustling lobby, I tried to call Dr. Orchid, but her line was very busy. Once at the desk I told them I was checking out, but leave an open tab for Yuki. "Alakazam, bring my things," I broadcasted. My Pokemon was quickly at my side with my traveling bag. I went out to find the pilot of the seaplane.

A crewmember of the plane wanted to know who I was.

"I'm the person who chartered the whole damn plane to bring this crap to this infernal island. Now that the plane is empty there should be enough room on board to take me and my problems back to civilization. Don't you agree?"

"Yes ma'am," he agreed and showed me to a place to sit in the back of the plane.

"When will we land at Maroon Island?"

"Three hours?" he replied as if it needed my approval.

"Good. Now I can book a flight back to Kanto."

A little later I could sense the faint thoughts of Yuki, "Sabrina? Where are you?"

"On the plane and going home," I mentally fumed. "I left an open tab for you if you want to stay. If you want to go too, I'll send Alakazam for you."

"Don't leave."

"Sorry Yuki, but my parole officer is here and I have to go back to the prison I made for myself in Saffron. Enjoy paradise for the both of us. Enjoy being free." I put my face in my hands and sobbed. I sobbed so I couldn't hear the voices in my head or the engines startup. I barely noticed that someone helped me with my seatbelt as the plane bumped along the surf. I choked down my tears and listened to the roar of the engines as they faded away. "They're not supposed to fade away," I pondered out loud.

I opened my eyes and found myself sitting on the dock. Alakazam and Yuki were standing nearby and watching me. The other people nearby watched the plane fly away. "Why did you bring me back?" I asked Alakazam.

"Because I told her to," replied Yuki.

"You told her? Why? Haven't I been punished enough?"

"Heh. You should ask that of yourself," retorted Yuki. "There was always something about you that I couldn't figure out. I think I found out today. The only person out to punish you, is you. Anabel didn't betray you. She did her duty and told the truth. After you lost the contract, she went back and pleaded with them to reconsider. She pleaded for two years until they relented."

"How do you know that," I asked.

"She told me," replied Yuki.

"I don't trust her."

"I know that. You trust yourself even less. You worry that the other you will return and ruin everything. So you punish yourself to punish the other you. I don't know if I trust Anabel, but I know I trust you. If you trust me, then stay with me on this island. I could teach you how to swim." Yuki gave me a poke in the ribs and added, "I'll join you in a video. I'll even let you use the Pink Wakazashi."

"You win," I relented. "I brought you something," I said as I pointed to the cargo pile.

"That's not all for me," retorted Yuki.

"Just the big box," I teased. The big box was a ten foot long shipping container. "Too bad that the Machokes are exhausted; maybe I can move it after lunch."

"What's in it?"

"A private shower, toilet, bedroom and kitchen," I answered. "If I have to go camping, then I'll go camping like a 'spoiled rich girl'."

End of Part Two

Will there be a part three?

Author's notes: In the original version of Return to Reef Island, I was going to make Sabrina the villain, and have the combination of Mrs. Ketchem and Prof. Oak 'save' her from herself. Since I started this Sabrina Journal, I changed my mind.

Wakazashi, also spelled Wakizashi, is the second, smaller sword worn by the Samurai. The Pink Wakazashi I mentioned is about 20 inches long and made of a pink semi-firm rubber. Use your imagination as to how Yuki and Sabrina could use it. If you have to ask, then you shouldn't be reading lemons.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Lemon Warning: If you don't know what a lemon is or you know you're not supposed to read it, then don't. Also contains mild swearing, and mild use of alcohol.

Author's note: This story takes place at the same time as Return to Reef Island.

Sabrina's Journal

Party Crashers

Part 3

Sunday morning is supposed to be the time for sleeping in, snuggling in the blankets and spending the morning in a bathrobe. "Rise and shine Luvdiscs!" The voice came from outside.

"Jean?" moaned Yuki whose face was pressed against my chest.

Jean pounded on the door and shouted, "You said you were going to make it up to me!"

I untangled myself from Yuki, crawled out of bed, grabbed a yukata and finally opened the door.

Jean walked in, kicked off her shoes and sat on the edge of the futon. "Yuki said you two were camping in tents."

I shuffled into the kitchen area for a drink of water. "That got old fast," I replied.

"So you ordered the Mark VII Expedition Hut," replied Jean. "When I saw them load the sea plane at Maroon Island, I knew you ordered this." Before I could ask, Jean added, "I flew to Maroon Island yesterday. The sea plane was too full to take passengers, so I booked a ferry ride for this morning."

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"You invited yourself to the hottest Pokemon event of the summer and you didn't bring me along," pouted Jean.

"It was business related."

"Your business is sex. As you've said yourself: all of Kanto's sex business is your business. So if you're here then there's going to be some action for me."

"Did she take her clothes off already?" asked Yuki from under the covers.

"I think she's still dressed," I replied.

"Maybe she's practicing psychic invisibility," mumbled Yuki. Jean pulled the covers off of the naked Yuki, who replied, "Hey! It's Sunday, I get to sleep in."

"This place is The Party Scene; you can't just sleep," argued Jean.

"Watch me," retorted Yuki.

I checked my Poketch and said, "It's eight in the morning. Everyone else is asleep, passed out or hung over. Things pick up after lunch."

Jean continued to pout, "Phooey. I catch the early boat to get here and now I have to wait to see some action."

"Jean, who is watching Saffron Tower and my guests?" I asked.

"Your Grandmother, Lady Lilith."

I took a deep breath then exhaled. "How did my guest react?"

"Mewtwo was fascinated by your Grandmother. They spent a lot of time talking in the garden."

"I think I'm going to spend some extra time here," I groaned.

"That's what she suggested," replied Jean cheerfully. "She also said that since I worked so hard, I should come to the island too and have a good time. So what do we do first?"

Yuki tried to kick Jean off the futon as she said, "Make us breakfast."

"You can't expect to sleep all day and night," countered Jean.

"We only fell asleep an hour ago," replied Yuki.

"What did you do all night?"

I replaced the fallen covers. "You're a psychic; figure it out," I joked. I disrobed and climbed back in bed with Yuki. "See you later for lunch."

Jean tried to fume, "Are you kicking me out?"

"No. After a long night of hot sex with Yuki, I'm asking you to leave in a less than tactful manner which I will probably regret, but at the moment, I need to sleep before I get really grouchy. Before you complain, I booked us for some fun and action after lunch. I'm sure we can squeeze you in."

"Deal. Then you better get your rest, because I am wound up like a spring," boasted Jean as she went for the door. "See you back here at noon."

A moment later, Yuki asked, "Didn't you have that photo shoot later?"

"Oh yes. I'll make sure Miss Perky gets all the action she can handle."

"Is it true; we're you and Anabel lovers?" asked Yuki.

"I thought we were; she didn't."

"So that makes you the psycho ex-girlfriend," teased Yuki.

"Psychic," I corrected. "Now get some sleep, before Miss Perky gets back." I pawed the nightstand until I found my Poketch. With one eye open, I typed in a request for three bento lunches. I closed my eye and Yuki took the Poketch from hand. I fell asleep.

Later, I awoke to the call, "Deli, Deli!" I staggered to the door. When I opened it, there were three bento boxes. I brought the lunches in. But as Yuki and I sat down to eat; there was a knock at the door.

Jean rushed in and said, "I saw a Delibird fly by…"

"Here's your lunch," offered Yuki.

As Jean sat down, she said, "You're right sensei, there isn't much to do around here but sleep. I found an open bar, but they were serving breakfast."

"Why are you still wearing that?" asked Yuki.

"What's wrong with my dress," replied Jean.

Yuki and I looked at each other. We were wearing yukatas, but didn't tie them shut. "You're wearing clothes in the clothing optional section of a tropical resort," Yuki pointed out.

"You should be wearing sunglasses and sunscreen, not sundresses," I added.

"You are going to stand out like a Seviper at a Zangoose convention," quipped Yuki.

"Ooh, that's a good one," I replied.

"It's a common phrase from Fallarbor Town."

"Once again I'm done in by the Yuki/Sabrina conspiracy," grumped Jean as she pulled off her dress.

"Except I'm not Sabrina," I corrected. "I'm Samantha."

"That's a good alias. I'd never guess it was you," mocked Jean. "So what kind of fun are we going to have?"

"As the spokeswoman for an official sponsor of this year's Come as a Pokemon Contest, I'll be making commercials for our product to help raise funds for this great cause."

"She's not talking about the gym," hinted Yuki.

"Saffron Entertainment Unlimited," I stated.

"The porn business?" asked Jean.

"Durable Goods Division," I replied.

"Sex toys," purred Yuki.

"Really? Which ones?" asked Jean innocently.

"All of them."

"Even the Wacky Weedle? Because I thought I read a report that the company that makes it, BUYA, was hoping that the Wacky Weedle will be their best chance to turn a profit and stave off a buyout by SEU."

"Who's BUYA?" I asked.

"It's short for 'Bug Up Your Ass'. They're a small start-up company in Johto run by two undersexed Bug Pokemon trainers and model makers," explained Jean.

"How do you know all this?" asked Yuki.

"I wrote about them on my blog, Midnight Cowgirl's Corral," explained Jean.

"Just what do you ride at midnight?" I asked.

Yuki looked around the room and spied the Pink Wakazashi that served us so well last night. Jean followed Yuki's line of sight and said, "The Pink Wakazashi; I was going to give it three out of five stars as a single person use item, but I didn't want to admit online that I didn't have anyone to help me test it properly. Would you two care to submit your opinion so I can give it a decent review?"

"I don't think I like where this is going," admitted Yuki.

"Did you write the review that claimed that the Blond Boy Buzz Bomb was a war crime?" I asked in a huff.

"It's too loud to be discrete. The motors get too hot to be comfortable after five minutes which causes the electronics to fail suddenly. You may as well have sex with a manic depressive arsonist," argued Jean.

"Yuki," I declared, "you are now the most normal of the three of us."

"Thanks; I think."

"I kept my hobby discrete," argued Jean. "Which is why I said what I did about the Blonde Boy."

"Yes I know about the problems with the Blonde Boy. Yes there was a safety recall after complaints. Yes we changed the settings, replaced the motor and added safety features. But why didn't you write a new review for the improved model?"

"I didn't know there was a recall," confessed Jean.

"Didn't you register the product? It's a simple email registration that gets you a bi-monthly newsletter with safety information and news of upcoming products," I explained.

"More than likely your newsletter sets off every junkmail filter in my email system. You got to admit the filters are designed to stop emails selling sex."

"What are you two talking about?" asked Yuki.

"Sabrina's company makes sex toys," explained Jean.

"I knew that."

"Jean reviews sex toys for her blog," I explained.

"I didn't know that, but it does explain why the plaster is cracking on my bedroom wall. That's going to come out of our security deposit," announced Yuki.

"Try explaining that to your landlord," I teased.

"So you won't be making a commercial for the Wacky Weedle," concluded Jean. "Drat, I was hoping to try that one."

"If you're in the commercial, how can you give an unbiased opinion about the product?" asked Yuki as she tried to grab some thread of the conversation.

"If I don't pay her, she's free to say what she wants," I state.

"No pay?" whined Jean.

"You are on vacation," pointed out Yuki.

"And Lady Lilith did pay my travel expenses," added Jean.

"Why?"

"'Make sure that my granddaughter has a good time,' were her words," quoted Jean.

"So for a good time call Jean," mused Yuki.

"Then it's settled," I concluded, "you wear the strap-on. I have to practice my lines: Mmmm, yes, right there, oh yes." Yuki started to giggle so I poured on the saccharine and said, "No Need to Worry ™."

Yuki laughed so hard that rice came out her nose. When she stopped laughing/choking she said, "I've still got the orange wig in my bag."

"You've already got one concussion by pretending to be Dawn," pointed out Jean, "Do this and she'll give you another one."

"Hey, no need to worry; she's probably here on the island. I'll just get her to do the commercial."

"Do you think she'd do it?" asked Yuki who was reluctant to be filmed.

I thought back to when I did manage to roam around in Dawn and Zoey's minds and concluded, "Absolutely not. Zoey more than likely would; but we would have to handcuff Dawn for her to go along with it."

"I brought a pair," offered Jean.

"The Amazon set a bad example for her," quipped Yuki.

"I don't think she understands the concept of 'catching a man'," I added.

"I learned it from you, Sensei," pouted Jean.

That's how it went for most of the afternoon. Like some adult television comedy we traded jokes and barbs then filmed some commercials using the toys. After an hour of filming just Jean and myself, Yuki relented and joined in the fun. The film crew consisted of two guys right out of film school. Jean and I tried to seduce them as we filmed, but they were either all business, or gay.

Later we washed up and looked for dinner. We walked along the sandy trails wearing only sunscreen and Pokemon masks. I saw Jean's eye notice that I was holding Yuki's hand. She gave only the faintest of smiles. I suspected that she was on a mission from my grandmother. We had dinner at the outdoor bar.

"So what is this Pokemon contest?" asked Jean.

I pointed to a large screen television. A resort staff member stood next to it and called for people's attention, "Welcome. We hope that everyone is having a good time. Yes?"

The crowd cheered and whooped.

"Did some of you partake of the contest?"

A few people clapped quietly.

"No, no mon. Don't be embarrassed. Jump up and cheer! Shake that thing you got!"

Emboldened, the stars of the moment jumped up cheered each other and displayed their wares.

"That's all? Did the rest of you come all this way just to sleep in? Let's have a look at what this contest is all about. Maybe more of you will want to join in tomorrow." After a few attempts, they played back recordings of the contest.

"That one wasn't edited very well," I commented after the second scene.

"There was a different film crew," noted Yuki.

"I suppose if you want to win the contest, you need to decide on film crew, location, costume and plot," conjectured Jean.

"There's a plot?" asked Yuki.

"I just memorized my lines," I said.

"Challenging enough," added Yuki sympathetically.

"But no need to worry ™," we all said together and laughed. We shouldn't have been noticed in the raucous crowd, but I caught the masked eye of a woman who was blushing. She sat at the next table over; she had long dark hair and her female companion had short orange hair.

I mentally broadcasted to Yuki and Jean, "Big mistake."

"What?"

"Zoey and Dawn are sitting at the next table."

"Oh, no," thought Jean.

"Did they hear us?" wondered Yuki.

"Let's go apologize," Jean decided.

We got up, grabbed our chairs and seated ourselves around Zoey and Dawn's table.

"Excuse me," stated Zoey, "we were saving these spots for our friends."

I focused everyone else's attention on the big screen as I took off my mask. "Sorry about the 'no need to worry'," I apologized.

Dawn and Zoey blinked in surprise and tried to place a name to my face.

"It's Sabrina. We met at Ash and Misty's wedding."

Zoey's mind flashed through a panorama of faces and images from the big wedding. Dawn's mind flashed over intercourse with what I had to conclude was a Wailord.

"I knew that catch phrase would get you in the end," teased Zoey. When Dawn flinched, Zoey added, "Sorry, bad choice of words."

I put the mask back in place and released the others.

"Were you reading our minds?" asked Zoey.

"I just saw Dawn blush so hard she matched your hair. I don't need to be psychic to figure out the rest. Don't worry about us; we're good at keeping secrets."

Jean and Yuki nodded purposefully.

"If it helps, I can't sense anyone thinking about you two," I added.

"Thanks, I think," replied Zoey.

"She means that nobody is mentally processing your identity so your secret is still safe. So there really is…" explained Yuki.

I winked to Zoey then we both whispered into Dawn's ear, "No need to worry," which caused Dawn to giggle.

"So why did you guys come to the island?" I asked to make conversation before I realized how stupid that sounded.

"I plan on being a marine biologist, so I came here to study the Corsola," replied Zoey without hesitation. "You?"

"Volcanology for me," I replied.

"Anthropology," chimed Yuki.

"Entertainment and services," added Jean.

"The Corsola have a fascinating display ritual of their sexual prowess," teased Zoey.

"I find that letting off steam is very important for the health of a volcano," I followed.

"Which coincides with the natives' fertility ritual," added Yuki.

"All of which is very entertaining for tourists, but requires special service if to be enjoyed thoroughly," concluded Jean in a purr.

We three psychics looked to Zoey to start the next round. "I didn't know you wanted to be a marine biologist," stated Dawn. Everyone else laughed. "What?" asked Dawn.

"We were just kidding," laughed Zoey.

"Tall tales and fish stories," added Yuki.

Jean watched other people come and go then asked, "How do you know who's who with the masks on?"

"We're not supposed to know who the other people are," explained Yuki.

"I mean: how do you find your friends? How do you pay for things?"

Dawn finally had something to talk about and said, "With these." She showed her bracelet to everyone. "It's a special edition Poketch. It acts as a watch, id bracelet, navigation tool and has text messaging. But the best part is the friend locator." Dawn switched applications. "See: Once I have a registered friend in range a dot appears on the screen."

We got a closer look and noticed a blinking heart indicating Zoey's presence. As with one mind, my crew gave Zoey big grins and hope she would blush. Instead she just winked back.

"Sabrina, you've got a regular Poketch but you two don't. How do you find each other in a crowd?"

"Sabrina?" asked Jean. "I'm so sorry, I thought you were Fantina. This is really embarrassing." Jean got out of her chair and apologized again, "I'm really sorry," then headed for the bar.

"Oops," said Yuki.

"I thought she smelled funny," I added.

"She should have worn her Poketch," remarked Dawn.

"Poketch, no sketch," I said. "I can find me friends by smell," I boasted.

"Really?" asked Dawn.

"Then why couldn't you tell that woman was a stranger?" asked Zoey.

"She was downwind and there are so many other people around," I lied.

"Sounds fishy," Zoey said to goad me on.

"I'll prove it," I claimed as I leaned into Yuki and made sniffing noises. I sniffed her hair and her neck. "That's a familiar, but common shampoo." I sniffed down Yuki's flat chest until I was sniffing her crotch. "I'm ninety percent certain." I gently pried open Yuki's legs and made loud slurping sounds. I could sense Zoey about to explode with laughter, so I smeared my mouth with my own saliva and sat upright.

"Is she your friend?" asked Dawn.

"No, but this one washes better so I'll keep her," I replied.

Zoey and Yuki threw themselves backwards with laughter. I laughed as I wiped my face with a napkin. I sensed Jean at the bar laughing as well.

"What so funny?" asked Dawn.

Zoey gripped her stomach and choked out between laughs, "She doesn't get it."

"Well shame on you for neglecting her," I teased.

I helped Yuki back to her seat, then offered a hand to Zoey.

"I think you guys are laughing at me," pouted Dawn.

"We wouldn't do that," said Yuki.

"Unless you saw how she performed in bed," joked Zoey. She had just stood up then fainted onto me as she laughed. She laughed a little harder, and gripped me a little closer, than she had to.

I sensed something was wrong. "Stand up quickly while laughing your head off will do that to a person," I announced. I placed Zoey firmly back in her chair. Dawn grew cold and defensive. Zoey avoided looking at her and just breathed deeply.

Jean returned wearing a new mask and carrying three drinks. "Are any of you four Fantina?" she asked.

"Give it up," I said, "we wore that joke out."

"I think I'll get something too," announced Dawn as she stood up and walked to the bar. She left behind a full glass of fruit smoothie.

"Now I have to go fix things again," sighed Zoey.

"We just got carried away with the jokes," explained Yuki.

""Let's go to Reef Island, Ash and Misty said it'll be fun,' quoted Zoey in a squeaky voice, "'Let's go to Saffron City, it'll be fun;' 'Let's go camping it'll be fun.'" With a sigh she asked, "When do I get to have fun?"

"Right now!" cheered Jean.

"Jean, what are you doing?" I thought.

"Sensei, Dawn's at fault so let's comfort Zoey until Ms. Squeeky comes around."

"Plenty of bars in Kanto to drown your sorrows," I observed.

"Let's go play volleyball," insisted Yuki as she stood up.

"Why volleyball?" asked the gloomy Zoey.

"It's the one sport where I have the advantage over a telekinetic," replied Yuki as she bounced up and down and displayed that her flat chest won't bounce.

On cue, Jean turned sharply so her own breasts would crash and jiggle as she asked, "What are you talking about?"

Once again we had an honest giggle from Zoey whose chest size was a little closer to Yuki's end of the spectrum. We found ourselves a volleyball and net and play several rounds and switched sides. Jean and I avoided using telekinesis to keep things fair. The trash talk was open, and sometimes raunchy.

"The losers give the winners a tongue bath," I declared.

Yuki was on the other team, so she threw herself on the sand. "That should make it interesting," she said as she stood up and rubbed a handful of sand on herself.

Jean was on my team so she shouted, "Dibs on the redhead; she's got a tongue stud."

"All those years of ass kissing the boss, now she gonna lick mine," growled Yuki.

"Careful what you wish for," I panted.

"We got them on the ropes," declared Zoey who was in better physical shape than Jean or me.

"Tongue baths or bondage; make up your mind," I retorted.

"I wanna try that too," cheered Jean as Yuki served the ball past her.

"We won!" declared Zoey.

"Pay up losers," boasted Yuki. She turned her sandy rear towards me and said, "Do a good job."

"Good thing I said dibs on the redhead," giggled Jean, as she walked towards Zoey.

I walked toward Yuki and said, "Here it comes." Haunter, Gastly and Gengar burst from the sand and Licked Yuki simultaneously.

"T h a t ' s c o l d!" cried Yuki as she shivered and was hit by paralysis at the same time.

"Careful what you wish for," I laughed. Zoey was playing keep away from a giggling Jean. "Hey Red, it's your turn next."

"No way!" replied Zoey.

"Come on, a deal's a deal."

Jean zigged one time to many and collapsed on the sand.

"Playtime's over kids: Time to come in for a bath."

Haunter and Gengar gathered Yuki and carried her over to Jean.

"Um?" asked Zoey with her hands behind her back. "Can I stay with you guys tonight? I don't want to go back to my room."

"Sure," I replied.

"Can I help you carry them?" she offered.

I indicated for her to help me lift Jean to her feet. With Gengar's help, I teleported us back to my cabin. "Zoey, can you help Jean get cleaned up? I need to go to the lodge and get something for the paralysis."

"No problem," replied Zoey as she helped Jean to the bath.

"As for you," I said to Yuki, as the Pokemon laid her on the floor.

"W h a t?"

"Now that you're as stiff, and flat, as a surfboard, maybe I'll take up a new hobby."

"G r r r…" I put a blanket on Yuki then wrapped myself in a Yukata. "Why are you leaving me on the floor?" flashed through her mind.

"Because you rolled in the sand," I explained. "Comfy?"

"No."

"Can I leave you for a few minutes?"

"Hurry back."

I teleported my Ghost Pokemon and myself back to the Pokemon Center at the lodge. The boys returned to their Pokeballs and were transported away. After getting some Paralysis Heal from the pharmacy, I teleported back to the cabin.

Zoey was helping a clean Jean stagger out of the bathroom. We maneuvered her to the bed and made her comfortable. Zoey went to the kitchen for water.

"What about me?" fumed in Yuki's mind.

"I've got the paralysis heal right here," I replied as I rustled the little white bag. I pulled out the bottle and pretended to blow off dust. "I guess it's not the number one seller."

Zoey return with a glass of water for Jean. "Do you need help with Yuki?" she offered.

"The more the merrier," I replied. We lifted Yuki into the bath where we folded her in half so she could sit on the stool as we washed her.

"What a-bout the med-i-cine?" asked Yuki.

"Oh no, I bought the wrong kind," I teased. "This is ointment. I guess I'll just have to rub it in."

"Uh?" stammered Zoey.

"Could you look in on Jean? I think I can handle things here," I said with a wink. After Zoey left, I said to Yuki, "It says on the bottle for external use only, which means no tongue bath."

Twenty minutes later I finished my treatment of Yuki and we staggered out of the bath. Zoey immediately rushed in and slammed the door. "Now what?" I asked out loud. Only to be answered by a toilet flush.

Minutes later Zoey came out and said, "If I knew you were going to do it in the bath, I'd have gone sooner."

"Who wants to soak in the hot springs?" I asked.

Everyone agreed, but Yuki added, "I'm hungry."

"I'm on it," I replied as I typed a food order into my Poketch. A quick teleport and Delibird delivery later, we were soaking in a remote hot spring on the far side of the island.

Zoey poured herself some sake and replaced bottle on the floating tray. "To the three most well adjusted women I know," she toasted.

"You don't mean us," replied Yuki.

"You guys are like three part harmony; a well oiled machine. Dawn and I are like pushing sand uphill."

"Hey, no gloomy talk," Jean scolded.

"You guys know what it's like. I can't help it that I'm gay. Sometimes I wish I never fell in love with Dawn," sulked Zoey as she knocked back the sake.

"We're not gay," I announced.

"I think I'm a man," Yuki stated.

"I do it with toys," added Jean.

"Due to a self-repressed childhood, I do it with anything and anybody," I explained.

"You guys are too funny," chuckled Zoey.

I telekinetically poured myself a drink. "If you're referring to being psychic, then there is some similarity. The three of us were born with a higher than normal affinity for psychic abilities. But we had to spend years developing that ability to be where we are now."

"But being a psychic means training everyday to keep up your abilities," added Yuki.

"You become the seventh Pokemon in your team," explained Jean.

"But once you become aware, you can't give it up. It would be like asking a person to never use their left hand."

"Or wear blinders."

"It's not like deciding to only eat chocolate and never vanilla. It's about deciding to eat at all, or just have it pumped in through a tube," explained Jean, who was quite good at this in the gym.

"You lost me," stated Zoey.

Jean summarized, "You didn't decide to have sex with every woman on the planet; you decided to have sex with Dawn. Dawn hasn't decided what she wants to do."

"There's more to it than that," grumbled Zoey.

I had taken a little tour through Zoey and Dawn's minds earlier in the summer. I mentally asked Jean and Yuki, "Was there some news event about Dawn last year?"

"Zoey," asked Jean, "didn't Dawn have a nervous breakdown last year?"

"She spent a month in rehab," recalled Zoey. "Stress, publicity and alcohol were the official culprits. What pisses me off is that I wait and wait, yet everyone else cuts ahead of me. We've been seeing each other for almost a decade, but was I her first kiss? No. Did she do it the first time with me? No. Was I the first person she invited to this island? No."

Yuki poured Zoey a little more sake. Zoey knocks it back. "I'm like an afterthought." She switched to a squeaky voice and said, "I've packed my bikini, sunglasses and towel. Now what else? That's right I almost forgot my flippers. Wow, I've got so much room left in my suitcase, I'll take Zoey." She took the sake bottle from Yuki and poured another cup. "I joined a conspiracy with Dr. Orchid and another of Dawn's friends to get her here. Maybe with the disguises she could open up. Maybe with a little jealousy she'll come to her senses. I even took up Misty's offer to ruin her for other men."

"I don't like the sound of that," I said coldly.

"A bunch of our friends were hanging out around a campfire. We we're snuggling and getting a little drunk. Misty was boasting about Ash's thing. A friend called her a liar. So Misty dared the women to try and take Ash. If it wasn't so scary, I'd be tempted to try him."

"I sensed that Dawn was sore in that region," I stated.

"I think it just made things worse," grumped Zoey as she tried to shake out the last drop of sake.

"You want more?" asked Jean.

Zoey tossed the bottle away from the pool. "No, that's something Dawn would do. She'd drink. She'd drink so she could deny what she did. I wonder what is like to kiss someone sober; someone who doesn't taste like beer or cheap wine."

"I wish we had some ice cream," stated Jean to change the mood. "Don't you guys?"

"Ice cream?" I asked to help process the idea.

"We had a workout with the volleyball game, so we deserve to eat some sweet and fatting ice cream."

"Yuki, keep them talking about ice cream," I thought. I grabbed my Poketch and accessed the warp tile network in Saffron Tower, and patched it to the Pokeball transport network. "Natu, stay here and watch our stuff," I thought.

I sounded the call, "Let's go get some ice cream!" First teleportation took us back to the cabin. "Jean, Yuki, grab whatever cash you have! I'll pay you back later." I grabbed a handful of Pokemon masks.

"What's going…" asked a bewildered Zoey. Jean found a 5000 note. We huddled together and teleported to the Pokemon center. I slapped the activation button on my Poketch and teleported again.

"What are you…"

I cut off Zoey, "Put this on!" I handed everyone a Pokemon mask. "On three we run in grab, ice cream from the cooler, drop the 5000, and run back out."

"One, two, three!" We ran out of the dark alley, and into the brightly lit convenience store. "Ice cream emergency! Out of the way! Ice cream emergency!" We ran to the cooler opened and grabbed two containers each.

We were ready to run, but Jean shouted, "Spoons!"

"Later! Come on!" barked Yuki.

"Sorry everyone," Jean called out cheerfully.

We ran out the door, pushed a young couple out of the way and ran back to the warp tile in the alley. I hit my Poketch to start the return trip. Finally we splashed down in the hot springs.

"Did you see the expression on the clerk's face?" laughed Yuki.

"How about the man reading the hentai?" added Jean.

"Imagine the look on the other guy's face," I suggested.

"Which one?" asked Zoey.

"The one who had his back to us the whole time," I giggled.

In a husky voice Yuki said, "Did you see those four naked women run in to the store?"

"Dude, I missed that?" groaned Zoey.

"Spoon?" asked Jean.

"I'm on it," I announced. I teleported to the bar, asked for and received spoons then left.

After handing out the spoons I stated, "I've got chocolate-macadamia and chocolate."

"I've got lychee and mango," declared Yuki.

"Vanilla and vanilla," remarked Jean.

"Orange cream and cottage cheese," stated Zoey.

"Cottage cheese flavored ice cream?" asked Jean.

"No, cottage cheese flavored cottage cheese," corrected Zoey. "I opened the wrong door."

"Why didn't you put it back?" asked Jean in-between spoons of ice cream.

"I couldn't let go. I was running naked through a store stealing ice cream. I've never done that before."

"Neither have we," remarked Yuki.

"Speak for yourself," I retorted as I stuffed myself with chocolate.

"Sensei," scolded Jean.

Zoey laughed.

"This is why you can't be depressed while eating ice cream," declared Yuki.

I polished off the chocolate and said, "If you're done holding the cottage cheese, I'll eat it."

Zoey handed it over. "I'll swap the orange cream for the chocolate," she bartered and we swapped. Zoey slowly indulged in the rich chocolate before she asked, "Where did we go?"

"Saffron City," I replied.

"Wow!"

"I know, I just love that flavor," I replied.

"Why did the store look so familiar?" asked Jean.

"Those stores are pretty much all the same," mentioned Zoey.

"But I always get vanilla. Yuki always gets mango and the flavor of the month, while sensei always gets chocolate-macadamia and chocolate," observed Jean.

"What are the odds that we each get our favorite flavors?" asked Yuki in an accusatory way.

"You guys are psychics," pointed out Zoey.

"Sensei?"

"Work it out," I ordered as I methodically ate the cottage cheese.

"Boss, did you teleport us to the convenience store that's three blocks from our apartment?" asked a nervous Yuki.

I winked to her.

"How am I going to go back in there?"

"Wear your clothes," I replied.

"Don't shout, 'Ice cream emergency'," added Zoey.

"Leave the Pokemon mask at home," suggested Jean.

Zoey put her ice cream to the side and had a good laugh.

"What?" I asked.

"You three never had to work in a convenience store before. Each time an item is purchased it is removed from the inventory. So if they get robbed they can check what's in stock against the computer records. They'll find out which ice creams were taken."

"Crap!" I blurted out.

"Time to find a new store," announced Yuki.

"We'll have to move again," sighed Jean.

I stood up, donned my mask and declared, "I am not cut out for a life of crime."

"Where are you going?" asked Yuki.

"It's best that you don't know," I replied melodramatically before teleporting back to Saffron City. This time I stopped at the gym and grabbed some cash from the cashbox in my office. Then teleported back to the alleyway by the convenience store. There I grabbed an empty box and marched back into the store. The store's patrons watched as I marched back to the cooler and threw random ice creams into the box. I did my best to smear all the fingerprints on the door handles. I tossed the clerk a 10000 note as I walked out the door.

"Would you like your change?" he called out.

"Keep it."

"Thank you. Please come again."

I returned to the warp tile and took the long jumps back to Reef Island. I dropped the box next to the hot spring. "Now I can't see," I grumped. So I teleported back to the bar, grabbed a tiki torch, teleported back to the hot spring and planted it in the sand like a flag.

"You went back?" asked Zoey.

"You got more?" asked Jean.

"And I smeared the fingerprints on the door handles. Should that solve the problem?" I asked. Zoey nodded. "It's so much easier the way I do it."

"How's that?"

"I just make them think I'm wearing clothes."

"Was that man still reading when you got back?" asked Yuki.

"I peeked over his shoulder: His headphones were blasting and he was reading some article about how to meet women."

"Didn't help him," laughed Zoey.

We laughed, soaked and ate ice cream. Later we returned to the cabin and stuffed the leftovers into the tiny fridge. I was the first to crawl into bed.

"Uh?" asked Zoey.

"Zoey, I've got a giant bed that will hold all of us, just climb in. As much as I am tempted to do it with you, because you are very sexy, I have psychically pushed myself to the limit. So before I sleep like a Snorlax, let me say this: You don't have to feel alone. Good night." I fell into a deep sleep. My only thoughts were of warmth and comfort.

I woke and saw a faint ray of the morning sun. The covers hid the tangle of arms and legs of four women. I returned to sleep and woke later to the smell of coffee.

"You city girls sure sleep a lot," declared Zoey.

I opened my eyes. Yuki was hiding under the covers and pressed against me. Jean was spooning a pillow. "What are you going to do now?"

"I'll go back and find Dawn. We need to talk things through."

"You threw away your Poketch," I pointed out.

"Yeah. I'll just get another one. I'm probably not the first person to lose one. Tell the others thanks."

"Zoey, if you ever want to talk…" I offered.

She nodded.

"Next time you're in Saffron City, give me a call; we'll go for ice cream."

"I'd like that."

"Maybe next time we'll do it with our clothes on," I suggested with a wink.


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Lemon Warning: If you don't know what a lemon is or you know you're not supposed to read it, then don't. Also contains mild swearing, and mild use of alcohol.

Author's note: This story takes place after Return to Reef Island.

Sabrina's Journal

Party Crashers

End of the Party

In this world of high-speed hydrofoils, maglevs and jets, I still enjoy the slow moments. After spending a week at Reef Island (the all-inclusive, totally uninhibited and hedonistic) Resort with my friends Jean and Yuki, we were returning home. I didn't want to hurry so we took the slow ferry back to Maroon Island. The three of us were lounging on the sundeck.

"Sensei, this was the best vacation ever," claimed Jean as she sipped her fruity drink.

"I don't know how I'll be able to go back to work," sighed Yuki.

"I don't know if I can get used to wearing clothes again," I said.

Jean choked on her drink. "What a team we make. Can you see the three of us at the gym: Sabrina without her clothes, Yuki working on her tan..."

"And you with a big floppy hat and a drink in your hand," finished Yuki.

"That's why the humans were kicked out of paradise: so they get some work done," I mused.

"Yes sensei," whined Jean.

"Taskmaster," joked Yuki.

"Taskmistress," I corrected.

Most of the people that wandered the deck shared similar, lazy thoughts as we did.

"Can we join you guys?" asked a woman with short red hair, followed by another with long dark hair. They wore modest bikinis and dark glasses.

"I'm game, but we're not on the island anymore so we're not supposed to do it in public," I joked.

"Down girl," replied Zoey, the redhead, as she spread out her beach towel. Her friend Dawn just blushed.

"Pay no attention to the raving sex manic," commented Yuki.

"We don't," added Jean.

"This is the respect that I get from my employees?"

"We are on vacation," stated Jean primly before sipping her drink.

"You guys should take your act on the road," commented Zoey.

"Would that make Yuki the straight man?" I asked.

"Who are you to say? I've seen you do it with just about everything and everyone," scolded Yuki.

"The straight man is the serious member of the comedy team," explained Zoey.

"That's Jean," Yuki and I said at the same time.

"Mother hen," I added.

"Frumpy."

"Why do I bother myself with you two?"

"I sign your paycheck?"

"I share your rent?"

I changed the subject, "Before this gets nasty; Dawn, what are you two doing next?"

"We're going to enter a tag battle tournament on Maroon Island," answered Dawn sheepishly.

"The Maroon Island Couples Tournament?" asked Jean.

"That's the one," replied Zoey.

"Good for you," I added. I didn't have to be a psychic to know that something was bothering Dawn. When Jean made an unladylike slurping noise in her empty glass, I offered, "I'll go get you another. Anybody else want something?"

"Leppa/oran berry peach smoothie," asked Yuki.

"Margarita," ordered Zoey.

"Dawn, would you help me?" I asked the pensive coordinator. Once we were out of earshot of the other three, I asked, "What's on your mind? Yes, I am a psychic and I can easily look around in your head, but I won't. Can I guess that you're nervous about the 'couple's tournament'?"

"Yes."

"Don't be."

"Easy for you to say."

"Dawn, we have only met a few times so I don't if you'll trust my opinion. What do your long time friends say about you and Zoey?"

"Brock thinks it's great, but he had a creepy, pervy look to him when he said it. Ash is still clueless about relationships. May was happy for me and said that Zoey and I always looked like a cute couple."

"Your mom?" I prompted.

"I can't ask her. What would she think? Have you asked your mom about Yuki and Jean?"

"There's your problem: You worry about what your mother would think, yet you won't ask her to find out."

"Yeah," agreed Dawn with a sigh.

"You sure are one messed up, self absorbed, little bitch aren't you?"

"What?! How can you say that?"

I put my face an inch away from hers, froze her body with telekinesis and flashed my evil eyes. "You never once mentioned how this affects Zoey," I projected into her ears and mind. "Every day that you fear how _your_ mother will judge _you _is another day that Zoey is treated as a thing and not a person. I hope I can trust you with a big secret: I've been in your mind before and I have been in Zoey's mind. She loves you. She loves you enough that she tolerates the pain and humiliation of waiting for you."

"Why? When did you…?"

"Go through your minds?" I finished. "When you two were in a love hotel in Saffron City. I'm not going into the details, but I went through your minds for your protection when a security breach occurred. The only one who knows that you two were there is me. During the incident, it got ugly because Zoey is riding her own emotional rollercoaster. Now I didn't go through your minds recently, but I'll bet that she is looking forward to this couples tournament, because it'll mean that you're just one step closer to accepting her."

I mentally let go of Dawn. She followed me to the bar where we gave the drink orders. As we walked back to the others I said to Dawn, "If that isn't enough incentive for you to get off your sexy little ass, then maybe I just seduce Zoey and have her come to my gym. I could use a top coordinator for her grooming and breeding skills."

"No! She's…" Dawn tried to protest.

I hissed, "Say it. Please just say it."

"She's mine!"

"Thank you," I sighed. "Now I can relax."

I did relax, until Jean insisted that we go dancing that night. At one in the morning we dragged each other to the stateroom and slept until the boat docked. We packed our things and followed the line of people down the gangway and through customs.

"Sensei, who's that?"

I looked in the direction Jean indicated. There was a man holding a sign for, "Sabrina, Jean and Yuki."

We slipped through the crowd and I asked, "Yes?"

"I have a car waiting to take you three to the airport; courtesy of Lady Lilith," replied the driver.

"Vacation's over girls," I sighed. "Grandma wants me home."

"There's no rush ma'am. The lady has chartered a private plane to fly you three back to Saffron City at your earliest convenience and has instructed me to be at your disposal," explained the driver. "If you wish to see the sights or shop, I'm at your service."

"Shopping!" cheered Jean.

"You're using your own money this time," I replied.

"Meanie."

"Sabrina, let's take her to the store we found. I'm sure Miss Frumpy will find something she can afford," conspired Yuki.

I had the driver take us to Tropical Passions, the local, open secret, best place to shop for passion. The real surprise was seeing Jean react, especially when she found that the Toy department incorporated her reviews and recommendations.

"So you're Midnight Cowgirl," remarked Granny Orchid, the owner of the store. "I get a lot of internet traffic directed from your website; it has been good for business."

"Thank you for putting a link to my reviews on your website…"

Jean and Granny Orchid talked shop while Yuki and I shopped. Or we thought about shopping.

"Swimsuits?" asked Yuki.

"To float on the SS Godiva? No. Leather playwear?"

"How many strap-ons can a person use at the same time?" replied Yuki. "Phallic doorknobs?"

"Explain that to your landlord," I countered.

"Or to your houseguests," added Yuki.

"Jean," I mentally projected, "Yuki and I are going out. Take as long as you want."

Yuki and I walked out of the store and found the perpetual crowd of undersexed men and boys watching. A dozen of images flashed though my mind, which caused Yuki to interrupt with, "Don't you dare!"

I took her by the hand and walked toward the beach. "What?" I asked.

"I saw those images in your mind," scolded Yuki.

"Which ones?"

"The one where you rip off all their clothes and make them do a conga line dance."

"That would be illegal wouldn't it?" I asked rhetorically.

"So would be ripping off your own clothes and having them line up to do you."

"Why?" I asked.

"There were minors in the crowd."

"We could have set up a little registration table for you to check their identification," I offered.

"So I could watch random men have sex with you? That doesn't turn me on."

"We could have the men pay to watch me have sex with you," I offered. "There was that bed on the third floor. Jean could narrate and describe the toys that we use."

"Ha, ha," replied Yuki coldly.

"You didn't comment on the image of me groping your ass and giving you a long, wet kiss."

"Isn't that like a semi-permanent image in your mind?" teased Yuki.

Across the road we saw the beach and the trainers with their Pokemon. Yuki tried to slip into her Yuri persona, but I said, "Please don't."

"But…"

"We've got luau shirts and sunglasses; nobody knows who we are."

"Are you going to swim naked on the public beach?" asked Yuki as we crossed the street.

"No. I was going to let my Pokemon get some training."

"Do you two need partners?" asked a bold young trainer.

"Let's see how you measure up first," I replied as I brandished Espeon's Pokeball.

The trainer's older friend gave a little laugh and said, "Shall we make it two on two?"

"You in?" I mentally asked of Yuki.

"Yes," she replied then flashed through images of her Claydol and its attacks of Psychic, Earth Power, Cosmic Power and Charge Beam.

I visualized Espeon using her Future Sight, Psychic, Morning Sun and Protect.

"Limited options," pondered Yuki.

"You guys want to go all the way?" I teased. "Two Pokemon per trainer?"

"Fine," replied the trainer who was almost my age.

"Starmie, Solrock and Lunatone," Yuki mentally listed.

"Alakazam and Natu," I added.

They released an Aggron and Lickilicky. We released our Claydol and Espeon.

"Ladies first," offered the older trainer as he adjusted his sunglasses.

"Counter move?" thought Yuki.

"Probably," I mentally noted. "Distract them while Espeon uses Future Sight on Aggron."

"Claydol: use Psychic on Lickilicky," ordered Yuki.

Claydol moved between Espeon and Aggron as it directed a wave of power against the normal type. As Lickilicky staggered, Claydol tossed her towards Aggron.

"Espeon, use Psychic on Lickilicky," I thought.

"Aggron: use Metal Sound," ordered the older trainer.

"Cosmic Power," replied Yuki to her Pokemon.

Claydol and Aggron had a battle of wills as their attacks collided on Claydol's skin. Lickilicky recovered her wits and readied an attack. "Incoming," I mentally noted.

Claydol launched her Earth Power against Aggron, who was also hit with Espeon's Future Sight. Espeon charged up to Lickilicky and used her Protect to interfere with Lickilicky's tongue as the normal type used Power Whip on Claydol.

Aggron fainted and was recalled. "Excellent strategy," the older trainer half praised as he adjusted his sunglasses. "I have no choice but to use this Pokemon next," he announced as he released his Slowking. "I may not be a trained psychic like you two, but Slowking is psychic enough for our team. Heh, heh, heh."

Espeon thoughts were of recognition, which made the sunglass wearing trainer Conway. "Does he know who we are?" thought Yuki nervously.

"He knows what we are based upon this battle," I thought. "If he really knew who I was, he'd pee in his pants. He also stole our momentum with his speech." I called out to Conway, "So you think your Slowking is psychic enough?" I flooded my mind with images of Conway naked, cuffed and whipped into submission.

Slowking flinched then moved closer to Conway. I sent Yuki an image of her training Espeon. Yuki took the hint and mentally ordered Espeon and Claydol to finish off Lickilicky. Espeon used her Psychic; Claydol used Charge Beam.

The younger trainer whined to Conway, "I thought you would back me up."

"I'm trying to. Slowking, get in there," ordered Conway.

The younger trainer released a Vaporeon. Espeon gave the newcomer a wink. There was the faintest of blushes on the blue Pokemon before it readied itself for battle.

To the younger trainer I yelled, "For your sake, I hope Conway is better in bed than he is on the battlefield."

The younger trainer waved his hands, turned red and yelled, "It's not like that! We just met and teamed up for battles." Before my lover could form a thought, I projected into her mind, "No names! Don't trust Slowking!" I recalled Espeon and sent out Alakazam. My top Pokemon mentally scanned the situation and readied herself. I spied a piece of driftwood and telekinetically removed a piece the size of a riding crop. Once it was in my hand I slapped it against my other palm.

Something deep in Conway's mind stirred. Alakazam launched an Energy Ball at Vaporeon. Claydol used Charge Beam which crashed into Slowking's Protect. Alakazam pressed her attack with Energy Ball after Energy Ball. Claydol used another Charge Beam, which boosted its special attack.

Slowking and Conway were sweating. Alakazam gave a wicked smile worthy of me as she raised a spoon. She predicted the inevitable failure of Slowking's Protect and directed Claydol to launch Earth Power which she boosted with Energy Ball. The blast knocked back the opposing team. Alakazam teleported between Vaporeon and Slowking. I replayed in my mind Conway climaxing while being whipped with a riding crop. Again Slowking flinched towards his trainer while Vaporeon was brought down with another Charge Beam. Alakazam slammed Slowking with another Energy Ball. The battle was over.

"You cheated," Yuki mentally scolded.

"No, I just knew the limitations of a Slowking," I mentally replied. I offered the younger trainer, "Want a lift to the Pokemon Center?"

He nodded. Before Conway could move I said, "Fetch," as I threw the stick to him. As Conway ducked, I teleported Yuki and the young trainer to the Pokemon Center. Yuki and I waved goodbye and walked off.

"Are you going to give me the details?" asked Yuki.

"Conway breached security at Saffron Tower so he could use Slowking to peek into the minds of Zoey and Dawn," I replied.

"Should I praise you for your limited restraint?"

"Did you see the images in my mind?" I asked.

"A little, but I was being defensive."

"Slowking is Oblivious to sexual advances. So when I imagined Conway being whipped, Slowking thought it was an attack."

"So Conway likes that sort of thing," mused Yuki.

"He's was obsessed for ten years with a closet lesbian; he practically wrote on his forehead, 'Beat Me'."

"Was?"

"I planted a suggestion that he go back to school and trade tutoring for services."

"You're thinking about Zoey," teased Yuki.

"Sorry."

"Don't be. Zoey is a wonderful person. I almost admire her for her perseverance."

"I wonder if Dawn is worth it."

"Zoey thinks so," pointed out Yuki.

"I think I just had a Mewtwo moment," I joked.

"What's that?"

"I realized that Zoey isn't one of us, psychically, yet I feel a connection with her."

"As long as it's a Platonic connection and not using the Pink Wakazashi," chided Yuki.

"Jealous?"

"Yes."

We passed a poster advertizing the Maroon Island Couple's Tournament. "Do you want to enter?" asked Yuki.

My mind raced through different scenarios until I said, "No. I'll end up making good on my threat to Dawn and seduce Zoey away from her."

"If you collect enough lovers you won't need the tower," joked Yuki.

"That's the idea. The love hotels are expensive to run," I replied.

"Are you serious?"

"About collecting lovers?"

"No, the tower," answered Yuki.

"The tower exists to fulfill a need I had for sexual release. It was easy to delude myself as I enjoyed sex through other people. But…"

"Do you regret building the tower?"

"Absolutely not. If the tower didn't mess with your head, you wouldn't have revealed the real you. Without the tower I doubt that Mewtwo would have noticed me."

"I think I should be jealous of Mewtwo and not Zoey," mused Yuki.

"All that power, and yet he has the simplest of vulnerabilities."

"Are you trying to make me jealous?" asked Yuki.

"Of a being that hates his own existence and his creator? Of a telepath so strong that he can never truly be alone in his thoughts, yet he is always alone by being so unique?"

"No," answered Yuki. "I'm jealous that you have feelings for Mewtwo: Caring, nurturing feelings."

"Isn't it a good thing for me to care for others?"

"Yes it is. But…" Yuki's mind flashed through memories and emotions she had for her brother, the real Yuri.

"Sympathy for everyone else and none left for us?" I summarized.

Yuki nodded.

I hugged her: I wrapped my arms around Yuki and held her close. I mentally blocked all the outside thoughts. "You don't have to be Yuri," I offered.

"You don't have to be alone," replied Yuki.

I mentally weighed my options of ripping off my clothes and making love to Yuki or crying.

"Crying is an option," offered Yuki. "Despite your shield, we are on a public sidewalk."

"We could go streaking," I offered.

"It's too early in the day," countered Yuki.

"Then let's just walk."

So we walked together until Jean sent a message that she was ready to leave. We teleported back to the Pokemon Center where the car collected us and took us to the airport and the waiting plane.

Once at altitude, Yuki let out a relaxing sigh. The only minds nearby were the flight crew of three and ourselves. I reclined my seat and slept until we reached Saffron City.

Author's Notes: This is a short one in comparison to the other chapters for two reasons. One, I don't know if I want more chapters of Party Crashers. Two, the next chapters, Legacy, has so much stuff that I didn't want the first chapter to be too long.

In my original version of 'Return to Reef Island', Sabrina was going to be the proverbial serpent in paradise. Now Sabrina, Yuki and Jean act as the Guildenstern and Rosencrantz to the regular 'Return to Reef Island'. I stopped adding to 'Return to Reef Island' since the sex got silly and excessive. There will be hints and jokes about it in future Sabrina stories. If I build up enough material based upon those jokes then I may add another chapter of Party Crashers.


	8. Chapter 8

Lemon Warning: This story contains some lemons so if you don't know what lemons are, or you are under 18, go away and read something else.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Legacy

Part One

After a week in the tropical island paradise of Reef Island, I returned to Saffron City. Since Yuki and Jean, my friends, fellow psychics and teachers at the gym, shared the island fun, we also shared a taxi from the airport. The driver let them out at their apartment on the other side of the city. Then he drove me to the underground garage of Saffron Tower. I took my bags, boarded the elevator and took it to my penthouse apartment.

I opened the door to my apartment and noticed some packages in the living room. "Welcome back Sabrina," my grandmother mentally called out.

"Where are you?" I replied in the same way.

"In your hot tub having a nice soak. Care to join me?"

"Sunburn," was my excuse.

"Oh dear, please don't make a habit of it, or you'll be as wrinkled as a prune when you reach my age."

I took my bags to my room as I thought, "I'll never be as beautiful as you grandmother."

"Your flattery is improving dear."

"Do you want something from the kitchen?" I asked as I went there for instant green tea.

"No thank you; I still have half a bottle left."

I took my tea to the garden and almost dropped it in my shock. "What happened to the garden?" I mumbled.

"Boys will be boys," replied Grandmother Lilith. She was up to her neck in steamy water. Her long hair was tied up in a bun, with a wash cloth on top. "Once Gengar and Mewtwo started gardening they just couldn't stop. They seemed so sad when they ran out of room, so I helped them expand."

"Sad? Help? Expand?"

"They filled the roof with their wonderful bonsai, but it was so flat and dull, so we built an extra floor so they could put in the boulders, mounds, waterfall and a cave."

"Extra floor?" I asked as I looked up.

"Under your feet dear," my grandmother corrected. "We took apart the apartment, built up the new floor then reconstructed the interior. Gardevoir showed me which rooms you don't use, so we left them on the original floor level and put these rooms on top.

"It reminded me of when your father was obsessed with model trains. He filled two rooms of the old mansion with his towns. I had holes cut in the walls so he could run his trains through them."

"Maybe I'll have what you're having," I pondered.

"Suit yourself." She sipped from the small drinking cup and added, "Now Saffron Tower really does have seventy floors."

My hair started to stand on end.

"Are you trying to send a message to Saffron City? Something like, 'Screw You'?"

"More like, 'Get it Here'," I replied.

"Yes I could sense that."

"Mad?"

"Heavens no," she replied. "All that energy seeping up through the floor is as invigorating as the hot water. If you ever have to leave town again call me; I'll be glad to house sit." She gave my cheek a little telekinetic pinch.

"Have you tried the jets?"

"Yes, but it tends to knock over the sake and drown out the sounds of the pines."

I couldn't tell which jet she was referring to and left it at that.

"Have you been shopping?" I asked as I formed a mental image of the packages in the living room.

"I tried, but none of the local stores had anything that went with my wardrobe. Those packages are for you. Before you go near them, you must tell me: Have you been keeping a journal?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Do you remember why I asked you to keep a journal?"

"In case I got lost in the minds of others, I would have the journal to remind myself of me."

"Have you kept the journal with that in mind?"

"Yes Grandmother."

Grandma climbed out of the tub, psychically squeezed off the water and wrapped herself in a yukata. "Your father wanted you to be raised as a normal little girl. We both know that it didn't turn out that way. But you have made considerable progress since those days. You have friends; you're a successful gym leader, teacher and businesswoman. I am very proud of you, Sabrina."

"Thank you, grandma."

She walked in to the living room as she said, "I have many things for you. Each will change your life; hopefully for the better." She handed me a package wrapped by a local bookstore.

I opened it and inside was a book on Saffron City History. I opened to a bookmarked page and saw a passage about Samantha, Daimyo of Saffron City. I was caught. I based my video alter ego on this historical figure. In my shame my defenses dropped.

"This is no time to go soft!" she scolded me. "This isn't about what you did. This is about what she did."

I scanned the page and commented, "She did quite a lot."

"She also inspired many people, including me. I tried to lead my life based upon her good works. I also had my share of fun similar to what she, and you, are accustomed to. I read stories about her to you when you were a child. What I didn't explain to you is that she's our true ancestor. As a result, I am Daimyo of Saffron City."

"But you couldn't tell me because of my state of mind," I concluded.

"There are more than enough people with claims of ruling the world. I didn't want our family's legacy tainted. The Daimyos of Saffron have been protectors of people, Pokemon and their rights. You have demonstrated that you believe in that too."

"And all this?" I asked as I indicated the tower beneath our feet.

"To be a Daimyo means to be a great land holder. You acquired and developed land using your own skills and for the benefit of others." This was the closest I ever saw my Grandmother gush.

"Do you really know what's happing in this building?" I asked in disbelief.

"I didn't adopt your father," she countered. "Despite that twinge of guilt I sense in you for being selfish, you did clean up the sex industry in Saffron and most of Kanto. You removed the criminal element, thus making it safer for all parties."

I didn't know if I should have been proud or embarrassed, so I was both.

"I would recommend that you try to be discrete about it."

I nodded in agreement and sipped my tea for comfort.

After my second sip, grandma asked, "Shall we continue?"

"Yes."

"Then I must ask you again: Have you kept a journal as I instructed?"

"Yes Grandmother. I have kept a journal for five years. I recorded my thoughts and actions as I developed the technology that built my fortune which financed the tower and my takeover of the sex industry. I also recorded encounters I had with other people and Pokemon. I recorded both the happy and painful experiences," I reported.

"Lovers?"

"I recorded my feelings if I understood them or my reactions if I didn't."

Grandma led me to a heavy wooden chest. With the lightest of psychic touches it was unlocked. "It is important to limit exposure of this family treasure to psychic energy. That is why it's on wheels," she explained.

"Yes ma'am."

"Then help me open the doors."

We both pulled on the ancient wooden doors. The further they opened, the more they resisted. It was like setting a giant spring trap. Inside were a dozen shelves, but only one was occupied. Grandma pulled out a heavy, leather bound book, which consisted of a single copper page. On the page was a very detailed portrait of a woman. The caption read, "Samantha in the 16th year of her reign."

"This portrait was colored by Samantha herself. The pigments were made with Exeggutor sap mixed with timeflower crystals ground by a Baltoy. It was not done to be extravagant. The painting itself recorded her thoughts," she explained. "You have come a long way Sabrina and have accomplished much. Do you wish to go further?"

"Yes."

"Then lightly touch it. Take in a little bit at a time. Your conscious mind won't process it all at once."

I touched her eyebrows and said, "She had a scar."

"The portrait was made after the Gambler's Seige. She was hit near the eye," replied my grandmother.

I touched the bow in the portrait. "She thought of the bow as one of her Pokemon."

"It was a time of war. The bow was a perfect complement to her abilities as a psychic."

I touched her saffron colored lips and said, "She was beautiful…"

Grandma gently, yet firmly, removed my hand from the portrait. She closed the book and returned it to its place in the chest, which closed and locked itself.

I sat on the floor and tried to make sense of it all. I touched my eyebrow where Samantha's scar was. "There was a man who helped me and treated the wound."

"That was Peter Geller," she explained.

"Geller?"

"The same family as your perpetual student Ivan. The Geller family has served as bodyguards to our family for centuries. Ivan was enrolled at the gym to be your bodyguard."

"He's the one that needed a bodyguard from me," I confessed.

"That is in the past. So is Samantha. After you had time to think things through, then we'll discuss the future. That package is a bow of your own. I found practice helped focus the mind. There will be a target set up behind the gym."

"What if I said no to all this?" I asked.

"You have too much of her spirit in you to back down from a challenge," she replied as she pinched my cheek.

"I take after you too," I said with a smile.

Grandma helped me back to the couch. "You've had enough for today," she said as she fluffed up a pillow. She purposefully stood between me and the chest. "No," she stated flatly. "I'm taking the chest with me. When you're ready, you come to me and learn more. In the meantime, you need a male Kadabra with synchronize. Make sure that you catch it with this custom Pokeball." She placed a purple and gold colored Pokeball on the coffee table.

I nodded and nodded off. My dreams were a painful jumble of images and events. I awoke. Grandma had left and took the chest with her. On the coffee table were the history book and a notebook. I opened the notebook and there was a message in Grandma's handwriting, "Remember what is Samantha's history and what is your own. I left you some notes. Use them and add to them."

The notes included, "Peter Geller: Samantha's most trusted bodyguard, rarely out of armor and hid his face with a mask.

"Samantha: Daimyo of Saffron City; a strong psychic talented in both teleportation and telekinesis. Her court consisted of other strong psychics and their Pokemon.

"Koichi: A strong ally of Samantha; leader of a clan of fighting Pokemon trainers. His descendent Koyi runs the fighting dojo."

"Ran the fighting dojo," I penciled in the notebook, "until I ran them out of town. I better clean up this mess."

"Gengar!" I called out.

"Geng?" asked the Pokemon as he stuck his head through the ceiling.

"Can you spare a bonsai?"

"Ge?"

"I need to make a present of it to apologize for what I did," I confessed.

"Gen Gar," he replied in a hurt fashion.

"You demolished and rebuilt my apartment and lost my pool float just so you could play in the garden."

Gengar explained that Grandmother Lilith approved, and paid for, the improvements.

"Please Gengar?"

He gave me a big smile and beckoned me to the roof. I went outside and found the new staircase to the top. There was Gengar with an empty pot. He laughed at my disappointment then reached down his throat and pulled out his tool box. I smiled until he handed me the toolbox. "What? Am I supposed to make my own?"

"Gengar," he replied with a nod.

"How?"

He reached into his 'ear' and pulled out a book, Bonsai for Beginners. Since my facial expression didn't improve he pulled out the additional titles of 1,2,3 Bonsai! and Bonsai for a Crackpot.

With a wink he gave me the business card being used as a bookmark for Bonsai for a Crackpot. "Bonsai Consultants: Let us talk to your trees." I called the phone number listed on the card.

"You have reached Bonsai Consultants. Please state your name, phone number and the reason for your call," replied the automated message.

"My name is Sabrina, and I need a bonsai as a token for an apology."

"Hello Sabrina," replied a different voice. "May I ask who the bonsai is for?"

"Kiyo was the head of the former fighting dojo. They lost their gym status because of me."

"Was this a gym with a long history?"

"Yes."

"Is there a color scheme you had in mind?"

"No."

"Then I would suggest either a miniature azalea with purple flowers that matches your eyes, an ancient windswept pine, or a small leaf gingko."

"How do you know my eye color?"

Mewtwo teleported in front of me and said, "Because they are the same color as mine."

"You're a bonsai consultant?"

"Yes, and Gengar is the other one."

"Do you really talk to the trees?"

"Not as much, but I do listen to them. They are interesting beings. I have gained a new understanding of humans through the attention that is recorded in the bonsai."

"If you were anyone else, I'd say that you were the crackpot mentioned on Gengar's book. With what I experienced today, I very much believe you."

"Since you have a pot and tools, we can proceed." He changed his appearance to that of a human male gardener. He 'wore' a hat that resembled Gengar's, complete with holes for the horns. We teleported to a nursery and soon found the owner.

"Ah, Myusan you brought another customer. Welcome!" the old man greeted us.

"I believe my client is considering a small leafed Gingko."

"Wonderful choice, but that pot is a little small," apologized the old man. I looked at the pot as he explained, "There is a limit as to how small this Gingko can produce leaves that still look like a classic Gingko. If the tree is too small, the leaves will be of the immature size, which are of a different shape. So I would recommend a slightly larger pot so that when the tree is shaped in proportion to the pot it will be large enough to produce the correct leaves."

Whoosh.

It seemed as if a cloud blew past my vision. When it passed, I saw the forests pass beneath my feet. I was sitting on the back of a red Pokemon. In my hand I held my trusty bow. I was searching for something. I felt the presence of Ghost Pokemon as they flanked me in our search for something. Something…

"Is there something else you need?" asked to old man.

"I'm sorry that I drifted away," I replied. "I just noticed how it's like I'm flying above a forest when I walk in your nursery."

"Thank you. I'm glad that you could experience that. If people only saw bonsai as a tree crammed in a small pot, then there wouldn't be any joy to it."

I paid for the supplies and left the nursery with Myusan. After we teleported back to my roof, I put the purchases down and asked, "Now what?"

"We train the bonsai," replied Mewtwo as he changed forms.

I pulled an empty Pokeball from my belt and tapped the tree.

Mewtwo looked at me like I was insane.

"Should I battle it first to make it easier to capture?" I asked.

"Are you making a joke?" he asked

"Yes," I smiled.

"Should I laugh?"

"No. At this point it would make me feel worse," I replied with a sigh.

"Very well."

The training was a two hour ritual of bending, twisting and pruning. Once the plant was in the basic shape we wanted, it was lost behind a network of wire.

"What do we do now?" I asked the consultant.

"We wait twenty years, while making minute adjustments."

"…" I thought about how he said it and asked, "Did you make a joke?"

"Was it successful?"

"It needs minute adjustments."

I looked around me at the garden. None of the bonsai had as much wire as this Gingko. "Will you show me what you did to the other bonsai?"

There was the faintest of smiles on Mewtwo's face. He closed his eyes, reached out his hands and let his psychic energy flow into the tree. I opened my second sight and watched his power reach into the tree and rearrange the very cells. Stress points were relieved. Minute cracks were mended.

A brief moment of nausea passed.

I was watching a young psychic work in a field hospital. He was tending to a Hitmonchan's broken arm. The arm was in a splint. The young psychic was stitching the shards of bone back together. "Remember," I said, "bone wants to heal. Your task is to reassemble the pieces, with a minimum amount of movement."

"Yes Milady," replied the healer.

"Samantha?" asked a voice.

"Yes?" I replied.

"Sabrina?" asked Mewtwo. "Are you well?"

"I'm trying to process a lot of memories in my subconscious. I'm afraid that it is causing me to daydream."

"Do you wish me to finish?"

"Yes please," I answered. Mewtwo spent another hour shaping the tree and removing the majority of the wires. When he finished I asked him, "Why a Gingko?"

"In the fall, the leaves turn golden and can be made into a medicine that improves memory. The dark green leaves remind me of your hair." He carefully removed a green leaf and held it against his forehead. The two lobes of the leaf matched the two parts of my fringe.

"Mewtwo, you're a romantic," I stated.

"Since it was to be a personal apology, I thought it best to use a tree that would represent you."

"So what's your fee?"

Gengar floated up as he wringed his hands.

"If you get too greedy, I'll have to charge you rent, both for your room and the garden."

Gengar sulked and floated back through the floor.

"No charge," replied Mewtwo.

"Then at least let me give you this," I gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"That will be difficult to bring to the bank," he replied.

I smiled and said, "That was much better joke."

Mewtwo had a faraway look and said, "I have another call coming in. Excuse me." With that he teleported away.

I went inside to my home office and read through my journal entries until I fell asleep at my desk. My dreams were so chaotic that it made wake with nausea. It was four am. I ate cold rice to settle my stomach as I stared at the package containing the bow. I opened the package and found a chest protector. As I donned it, it felt familiar, as if I always wore it. I gathered up the bow and blunt practice arrows then teleported to the gym. Behind the gym there was a target and canvas backstop ready, so I took an arrow…

"Whoosh-thwack!"

"That is how one is trained to use the yumi," explained Samantha. "Whereas accuracy is a matter of skill and practice, there is a limit of range and power based upon the bow's, and my, limitations."

She turned and faced a small class of students.

"But we need not be limited to the bow's ability," she continued. She placed the bow in the rack alongside the others. An attendant handed Samantha her own bow. She took her position and nocked a new arrow. "This bow has over twice the draw weight of the practice bow." Psychic energy flowed from her hand and into the bow. "I shouldn't have the strength to draw this bow, and yet." The bow was drawn.

"Whoosh-thwack!" The arrow penetrated twice as deep as the first.

Samantha turned to her students. She held out the bow and bent it with telekinesis alone. "This is why you must master your abilities. This is why you must understand and be one with your Pokemon. If you don't have the strength yet to bend a heavy bow, then your Pokemon does."

"Whoosh-thwip." The arrow missed the target and hit the soft backstop. I adjusted my stance, arched my back and nocked the arrow. I viewed the target and drew. I bent the bow like a spoon, released the string and followed the arrow to the target which I hit low.

"Whoosh-thwack!"

"Milady, what if we don't have the gift of telekinesis?" asked a student.

"You all have gifts," she replied. "Some of you have a gift of Future Sight. I know that your training has not progressed to the point where you can become official seers. But that level of skill requires you to make a prediction based upon many events and influences. For the arrow, what are the influences? Gravity pulls on it, the bow pushes it, the wind deflects it, the fletching twists it and you direct it. Gravity is always the same. With skill, the bow's performance will be consistent. The arrow has two directions of twist. So you only need to use your sight to determine the result of the wind and your own aim. If your prediction is unfavorable, then change your aim."

"Whoosh-thwack!" My arrow hit high and to the left. I drew another arrow and tried to predict its path. I saw only what was, not what may be. I closed my eyes, released the arrow and felt its path to the target.

"Whoosh-thwack!"

"There is another way to use the gift of telekinesis," announced Samantha. She turned her right side to the target and, with an overhand throw, threw the arrow into the target.

"So the bow is unnecessary?" asked a student.

Samantha handed him an arrow and said, "Walk to the target and stab it with the arrow." The student did as he was told. "Come back." He did. "Take another arrow and stab the next target." The student did so. When he returned, Samantha said to him, "The bow is unnecessary for the purpose of putting an arrow into the target. Take another arrow and throw it into the target."

The student did as he was instructed, but the arrow bounced off the target. He tried again, and again. On his fourth attempt, the arrow stuck.

"You're breathing hard since you exerted yourself. This means that you wasted energy putting the arrow into the target. If you waste energy, you will not be effective in a battle. The bow is as necessary as a hammer or a hoe if you wish to do your task effectively. We cannot waste lives, time or energy in a battle."

"Whoosh-thwack!"

I nocked another arrow. I drew back the string and let my mind see the path I wanted the arrow to follow. Released, the arrow sped away with another "Whoosh-thwack!" to the target.

"Whoosh-thwack!"

Yuri walked out of the gym's backdoor and over to me. When he was within a few steps he dropped his mental projection of Yuri: the facial features softened, curves become apparent and she became Yuki again.

"You're slipping," I stated.

"I'm practicing," she corrected. "I'm practicing invisibility selectively."

"Whoosh-thwack!"

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Practicing; I'm trying to hit the target with an arrow."

"Why?"

"Because Grandma Lilith told me to," I replied.

"And?" asked Yuki.

"If you knew my grandmother, you would know that there doesn't have to be an 'and'. You just do as you're told."

"Whoosh-thwack!"

"On that theme," I added. "I hope you don't have plans this weekend, because I need to go catch some Pokemon."

"Because she said so?"

"Whoosh-thwack!"

"I'll take that as a 'yes'." Yuki watched for a bit then pondered out loud, "Maybe she's making you do this to take your mind off of sex."

"Well if that is her intention, then you spoiled it. Now every time I 'cock' an arrow, I'll think of what you said."

"Your naughty ways are rubbing off on me," giggled Yuki. "Besides the proper tern is 'nock'. You cock the trigger on a gun. You nock an arrow. Don't look at me like that. I had archery in grade school as part of physical education."

"During the warring states period, my ancestor was noted for her ability with the bow and psychic powers. The two complement each other: Future Sight to predict the target's path; Telekinesis to guide the arrow."

"Whoosh-thwack!"

"What was her name?"

"Samantha."

"The same as your porn star alter ego?"

"Yes."

"Does your grandmother know?"

"Whoosh-thwack!"

"Probably."

"Is she upset?"

"Probably not," I replied. "Samantha, Daimyo of Saffron City and Lady of Marsh Castle, wasn't a completely virtuous person. She took all sorts of lovers."

"Whoosh-thwack!"

"Anything else you need to do?"

"Restore the fighting dojo."

"What fighting dojo?" asked Yuki.

With an arrow I pointed across the practice field to an old building.

"That's a ballet school and community center," replied Yuki.

"Which means that I have to track down the master of the dojo and find a location for the current tenants," I replied.

"Well that's a full agenda. What would you like me to do first?" asked Yuki.

"Would you bring me something about the size of a file cabinet?"

"What are you going to do with it?"

"Whoosh-thwack!"

"Try not to hit it," I replied.

Yuki returned to the gym.

"Whoosh-thwack!"

Jean and Ivan returned as they maneuvered an old filing cabinet between me and the target. Jean returned to the gym. Ivan stayed and watched.

"Whoosh-thwack!"

"Ivan, are you aware of the history that our families share?"

"Yes, Great Sabrina."

"I'm sorry. I only recently learned how important your family has been to my ancestors. If I had known sooner, I would have treated you better."

"My role is to serve you; Apologies are not necessary."

"This is a new era," I stated.

"Whoosh-thwack!"

"Despite current appearances," I corrected. "Ivan Petrovich Geller, do you wish to continue your family's legacy?"

"Yes, Great Sabrina."

"Then you are going to need proper training to be my bodyguard."

"I've been taking courses and my Uncle has been tutoring me."

"Bring me any receipts you have for schooling or equipment, and I'll repay you," I offered.

"That isn't necessary…"

I cut him off, "In the future, I will defer to you in matters of security, but do not argue with me about matters of money."

"Whoosh-bang-thwack!" protested the arrow as it scraped the back of the filing cabinet.

"Yes Great Sabrina."

"A proper Lady supports her loyal vassals," I offered. "Now go in an order yourself a new filing cabinet."

"Whoosh-zing-thwack!"

"Yours won't be worth using." I watched Ivan bow and walk back to the gym. He seemed taller and with an air of purpose. All those years that he hovered around the gym and fawned. I found myself smiling at the new Mr. Geller, before I returned to my practice.

"Whoosh-zzz-thwack!"

"Captain Leporello, do you know why you are here?" asked Samantha as she drew back the arrow.

"I was captured on the battlefield," growled the man in armor who was bound to a post.

"Correct. But unlike General Chen, who I found to be a stranger to this land, you should know better."

"I'm not a pacifist or a wet-nurse. I'm a Samurai, a warrior; I fight."

"Whoosh-thwack!" the arrow embedded itself in the post between the Captain's legs.

"What's the matter, am I too much man for you to seduce?" scoffed the Captain.

"I doubt that you have any information that I want. Volunteer something if you think otherwise," replied Samantha as she drew again. "Perhaps Garibaldi will ransom you. Until he does, I'm going to teach you some lessons."

"Whoosh-thwaa crack!" The arrow split the upper third of the post in two.

"Lesson 1: As Daimyo my duty is to protect the people. I do not tolerate random attacks on the unarmed and defenseless."

"Whoosh-smack." This arrow nicked Leporello's ear.

"Lesson 2: As Daimyo my duty is to protect the Pokemon. I made a great effort not to kill my enemy's Pokemon, for they are somewhat innocent in the affairs of humans."

"Your softness will be your downfall," grunted the prisoner.

"Whoosh-grunt!" An arrow lodged itself in Leporello's leg.

"Lesson 3: Like samurai, healers and psychics need constant practice."

"Whoosh-squish!" An arrow penetrated Leporello's armor and pierced his chest.

With cold determination, Samantha walked to the prisoner and twisted the arrow shaft protruding from his leg. The prisoner clenched his teeth in an effort not to cry out.

"I was practicing not to kill you," stated Samantha before she snapped off the shaft. "Next, my healers will practice on you, if they have the time. They have a lot of badly injured humans and Pokemon to treat. I don't believe that we have enough medicine to share either, so for the pain just bite on this." She pried his mouth open with telekinesis then placed the bloodstained arrow shaft in his mouth as a bite stick.

"Whoosh-thwack!"

When Yuki came out of the gym with dinner, I could bend the arrow's path a foot to the left then back to the right and into the target. Yuki opened the bento box and stated, "It's getting dark."

"I can't see the target with my eyes," I replied.

"Are you going to go to bed?"

"Will it mean I get some sleep?"

"I didn't say whose bed you'll be getting into," corrected Yuki in an unsettled tone.

"Is something wrong?" I asked.

"You tell me. You're the one outside shooting arrows in the rain."

I stopped in mid-draw and looked up at the dark sky. A few raindrops hit my face. I blinked.

"You didn't know it was raining?"

"Whoosh-thwack!"

"No," I replied. "If you haven't figured out by now, I tend to get a bit obsessive with regards to training."

"A bit?"

"I don't wash my hands excessively like Hugh in your morning class. I had to switch brands of soap so he won't scrub off his own skin."

"Sorry. I'm trying to work with him on that," replied Yuki. "He has a prescription, but it interferes with his abilities."

"His obsessive-compulsive behavior also interferes with his studies," I pointed out. "Maybe he needs a physical activity to focus his mind outside of himself."

"Archery…"

"Whoosh-thwack!"

"Perhaps."

"As long as he doesn't pick up your bad habits."

"What bad habits?"

"Whoosh-thwack!"

"Have you even looked at me?" asked Yuki.

I stopped and looked at Yuki in the fading light. She wasn't projecting her Yuri image; instead she was naked and shivering in the light rain.

"I'm sorry," I replied. I psychically gathered all the fallen arrows to my hand. "Is the gym secured?"

"For the last two hours," replied Yuki as she picked up her fallen lab coat.

I took Yuki's hand and tried to focus on my apartment. "I'm out of energy," I stated as we stood there.

"What?"

"I've been using a lot of telekinesis to adjust the arrow's path. My reserves are too low to teleport."

Yuki's response was to clutch her lab coat and shiver.

"Taxi," I offered as I made the call through my Poketch.

It was later than I realized, but that meant that traffic was light. After a quick ride across town, Yuki and I were soon at my penthouse on the sixty-ninth, correct that, seventieth floor of Saffron Tower. We wasted no time getting into the hot tub, enjoying the warmth and sipping some leppa berry flavored sake.

It didn't take long for Yuki to state the obvious, "Things look different."

"As you recall, Gengar, acting as gardener, had a space to do as he wished. With it he made a charming topiary garden. Mewtwo doesn't understand boundaries or limitations. Thankfully, he does understand aesthetics." The original patio and pool area was designed by a person who designed bathrooms: The view from the hot tub was clean, discrete and dominated by glass and tile. The view now was dominated by mosses, shrubs, trees, waterfalls, rough stones and the cloud filled sky. The only hint that humans existed was Yuki and our sake cups. With my cup, I toasted the garden, "To Mewtwo, the most powerful Psychic Pokemon in the world: You are an excellent landscaper."

"Is Mewtwo a he?" asked Yuki as she searched the sky for a star.

"Mewtwo can be anything he wants. I'm not going to call him an 'it'."

"I wouldn't either," replied Yuki. "But why not call her a she?"

"Why?"

"She reminds me of you," teased Yuki. To answer the blank expression on my face, she said, "Mewtwo is a powerful, obsessive, disciplined loner who doesn't understand boundaries or limitations."

"Why do you put up with me?"

"Because you're powerful, disciplined and you don't understand boundaries or limitations," she purred as she moved across the tub and onto my lap.

"For that you'll put up with the obsessive loner?"

"I need some challenge."

"Touché."

"Now tell me what's wrong," insisted Yuki.

"Pardon?"

"Using Defog!" exclaimed Yuki before she blew in my face. "You haven't been same since we got back from Reef Island. Did you get burned out? Are you bored with me?"

"It's not that."

Yuki bounced on my lap like a fussy child as she said, "Then tell me what is wrong."

"After I dropped you and Jean off at your apartment, I took the cab here. Grandma Lilith was waiting. I've been in a fog ever since."

"What did she do?" asked Yuki as she moved off my lap. She clutched her cup and stared at me like I was a soap opera.

"She explained our family's history. For over 700 years, we ruled the greater Saffron City region. Our crest is the Marsh Badge. Marsh Castle, which stood where the mansion was, was the center of our power."

"I can't imagine that bit of news bothering you," replied Yuki as she coaxed out more details.

"Grandma had a painting that psychically recorded my ancestor's very thoughts." I sipped my sake. "It was like a very vivid dream. It was so clear and strong, that I've been trying to determine which thoughts and memories are my own and which are hers."

"Was it Samantha?"

I nodded.

Yuki winced in sympathy. "To create an alter-ego, then have a real personality force its memories onto you; that must be a terrible strain."

"It's not that bad. I could reflexively dismiss a lot of memories as being hers, but we have so much in common, I would be denying my own personality. Fortunately, grandma told me to keep a journal and I did. I spent the night just reading about myself." I added, "You should keep one too."

Yuki just nodded.

"I also learned to be nicer to Mr. Geller."

Yuki mouthed, "Geller," as she thought. "You mean Ivan, the head student?" she asked out loud.

"His family has long served as the personal bodyguards to my family. All these years I thought he was some toady. It turned out he was watching over me. I apologized today."

"Good," toasted Yuki.

"I also realized at the time that I was the one who apologized, since Samantha Daimyo never apologized."

"So Sabrina Daimyo, what are your plans for the future?"

"Re-establish the monarchy, take over Kanto then invade Johto for their rich farmlands."

"I hope that was a joke," shivered Yuki.

I gave an evil grin and said, "It was." I emptied my cup. "Constitutional Monarchy: The Daimyo would receive a certain percentage of taxes for the maintenance of defense forces, and would act as commander-in-chief in a crisis, such as wars or fires. The civilian government would ratify treaties and financed civil projects such as roads, bridges and water works. All citizens and Pokemon had rights, and all had the responsibility to come together in emergencies."

"How noble," joked Yuki.

"Practical," I corrected. "How could a psychic lead an army, if her own people hated her? Other countries could distinguish between 'us' and 'them' with uniforms and banners. For the people of Saffron City, they proudly flew their banners in their hearts. Their patriotism shone so bright, we could fight at night, in fog, smoke or pouring rain and we always knew who our allies were."

Water was splashed into my face.

"What was that for?" I demanded.

"You drifted off to the past and mumbled about a parade."

"It was so real. I was Samantha and I flew above the cheering people. I was riding on Latias. I can't remember what we were celebrating, but I could feel their genuine good will."

"What's a Latias?"

"Don't you remember? She's a psychic/dragon Pokemon. She's red and white and can levitate."

"I wasn't the person taking a seven hundred year trip down memory lane."

At that moment, I couldn't tell if I had only seen Latias in Samantha's past, or if I saw her in my own past.

"You're not going to be much fun tonight, if you keep drifting off like that," chided Yuki.

"Sorry."

Yuki smiled. "So I'm still talking to Sabrina?"

"Yes. Let's get dried off then get some sleep." The pool ladder had been replaced by stone steps and a well placed bamboo acted as a handrail. We toweled off and wandered in to bed.

"Are you going to the gym tomorrow?" asked Yuki.

"I'd just spend the day shooting arrows," I admitted.

"I don't suppose that you'd want to spend the day in bed?" asked Yuki as she teased me with a playful finger. "No?"

"I need you to remind me who I am," I stated flatly. "I need you to…,"

Yuki planted her lips on mine. "I'll watch over you. If you wander off in dreamland, I'll bring you back. Now get some sleep," ordered Yuki.

I was reluctant to sleep, for I knew that Samantha's dreams would invade my own. When they did, Yuki shook me awake. "I didn't know you could do Dream Eater," I mumbled.

"I can't. But I can tell if you're flailing your arms and shouting orders in your sleep. Where are you going?"

"I'm going to write down what I dreamed, so I don't think about it," I replied as I got out of bed. I put on my yukata and wandered off to my home office. I took the book on local history and turned to the chapter on the Gambler's Siege:

"In the fourteenth year of the reign of Samantha, forces from now Olivine City formed an alliance with Vermillion and Viridian Cities to topple Saffron City's dominant role as a trading hub. Since the emergency and defense forces of Saffron City used psychic humans and Pokemon, the Viridian Alliance used gamblers as commanders. Forces were assigned and attacks were directed based upon chance. It was assumed that by doing so the Saffron forces would be too confused to mount a serious defense."

I could hear Samantha's voice as it were my own, "They are treating this attack like a game!" To Ayumi, the Head Future Seer, Samantha ordered, "Change the focus of your visions. You won't be able to discern their actions, but find me their goals. What is the prize in this game?"

Samantha focused on the map of the city. Tokens were being shifted about the map to show locations of enemy forces, our forces and fires. Ships from Olivine brought their Viridian allies to Vermillion City. The three armies then entered from the south. Their goal should be Marsh Castle, but they had run skirmishes in all parts of the city. An invading token was moved; a fire token placed. The invader split into two forces. Soon a water token was placed on the fire.

Commander Jenny announced, "Their forces will randomly set fires around the city, but the Slowbro/Golduck brigades help the locals put down the fires. I bet those invaders didn't expect us to use Teleport so well."

"No," Samantha argued, "They know exactly what we can do. They are drawing out our forces. Because we can teleport, we don't have to stay in one place and protect their goal. Because they attack property, their battle, for now, is with the city itself. If we don't repel them, then the city may turn on us."

"Amanda, assign each of your Ghost teams a number and prepare to draw lots. Jenny, recall one fire brigade. Tyron and Koichi assemble shock troops in the courtyard; give me a fast yet versatile mix of troops. Each team will contain a squad of Psychic and Fighting Pokemon. Incorporate fire brigade members in case the enemy starts a fire as a diversion. Make quick strikes against the enemy that the Ghost teams observe then get back here to recover. When we draw out more of their forces, I'll lead an aerial strike against their center."

After the Commanders raced off to perform their duties, Samantha turned to Peter, her personal bodyguard and said, "I have a special assignment for you: Guard Rebecca. If this war turns bad, take Rebecca and flee."

"My place is at your side," argued Peter behind his armored mask.

"You are the head of the Royal Guard. Rebecca carries the official Royal Heir. I cannot afford to be torn between the city and my family. I know that you would willingly follow me into Hell, but I must know that my family will be protected."

"I will protect them both with my life," saluted Peter.

Samantha handed him a scroll. "Here are instructions for you and Rebecca. If the war is lost, flee and raise the child. You and Rebecca will have to decide if the child should learn of her legacy. If there is no chance to free the people of Saffron City, then please don't risk their lives."

"Daimyo…?"

"I would willingly march into Hell for the people of Saffron City, but I won't sacrifice a child for an empire."

The next paragraph of the book read, "Samantha drew more of the invaders into the city, by attacking them with her own random forces, until she personally led a strike against the main enemy at the southern border, then another at the Olivine fleet harbored in Vermillion City. The Vermillion and Olivine forces realized that they had the most to risk, while Viridian had the most to gain, so the alliance quickly dissolved."

I wrote in the margins of the book, "Why was Rebecca's unborn child declared the Royal Heir? Are there connections with the Lord of Viridian and Giovanni?" I turned off the light and went back to bed. Yuki was sound asleep, so I quietly slipped back into bed and fell asleep.

"So General Chen, I would like to know the reasons behind this attack," purred Samantha.

"Torture me, ransom me or execute me, just don't bore me with your empty threats," calmly replied the bound General.

"Interesting; some of your captured allies wanted to be interrogated. Some even pretended to have valuable information so I would give them my personal attention. Why is that?"

"You won't be able to charm me."

"Why not?" asked Samantha coyly, "many find me attractive."

"So the rumors of your appetite are true," grumbled Chen with a hint of disgust.

"We'll since I've confirmed your rumor; I think as a trade you should confirm the rumors I've heard."

"I'm beyond your abilities. I was chosen to lead the battle since I'm a eunuch."

"Oh, I've never done one of those before," purred the Daimyo.

The General stared slack-jarred at her. The handmaid twins discreetly rolled their eyes. Peter leaned down and whispered into his Lady's ear.

She looked at him in surprise. "They really do that to people?" she asked.

"They do it to livestock to make the males more passive," explained Peter. "I've heard it done in foreign courts."

"Such as the court of Chi?"

Peter nodded.

Samantha mused out loud, "So Viridian city has employed, or conspired, with a member of the Chi court. We do a lot of trade with the land of Chi. If Viridian ruled Saffron City, the trade agreements would still exist. But if Saffron City and the merchants were destroyed, then Viridian could become the new inland trade center."

"Speculation," countered Chen.

"Confirmation of theories proposed by my future seers," corrected Samantha. "But I need evidence. I need to know the names of your conspirators in the Chi court. Take him to the interrogation room. In addition to the usual preparations, have him stripped, bound, blindfolded and prevent him from biting off his own tongue."

"Yes Milady," chimed the twins. They bowed and escorted the guards and the general away.

Samantha left the room and went to her Pokemon's quarters. "Alakazam, I need you to use the Induction Ritual on a prisoner."

"Zam?"

"He had his manhood reduced like common cattle."

The Pokemon shuddered.

"I want to be able to turn him on and off at will. Can you manage that?"

"Ka," agreed the Pokemon with a nod.

Later Samantha and Alakazam went to the interrogation room. Chen was naked, clean, and securely bound to a padded table.

The handmaids turn away as Alakazam prepared and glowed with power. As psychic energy steamed off his right arm he inserted his spoon into Chen's lower abdomen. Alakazam removed his arm and left no trace on Chen's skin. The Pokemon moved into the shadows of the room and focused his attention on his other spoon. He stretched the bowl of the spoon into two lobes. The handle of the spoon fell limp.

The handmaidens were comforting Chen and mopping his sweaty body as he thrashed in confusion. Samantha motioned for the blindfold to be removed and for the table to be propped up so Chen could see the results of Alakazam's work.

"I can understand why Garibaldi sent you. If you don't have a full set down here, it isn't much to play with. I mean it's just part of some dirty bodily function, no more exciting than a chamber pot. But what is this? It looks like you've grown a pair."

Chen's eyes grew wide in disbelief. Samantha gently tugged upward so he could see. In the shadows, Alakazam's spoon started to straighten as did Chen's restored manhood.

"Mindy! Cindy! I thought you had prepared my guest," the Daimyo scolded half-heartedly.

"We did Milady. He was purged and cleaned as per your directions."

"That's right; you two are very loyal and thorough. Wouldn't you agree General? Yes it must have been uncomfortable and humiliating, but those are not the bodily functions that interest me." Samantha dabbed her finger in the fluid that formed at the tip of the General's 'spear'. She continued, "Do you know what this is? This is a sign that you will tell me what I want to know. This is why Saffron City is a great economic power. Where else in the world can you have this? All it will cost you are answers. I can have your manhood permanently restored. I can offer you the services of my handmaids and myself. You can experience ecstasy for just a few names."

Chen grunted a reply.

Samantha read his surface thoughts and replied, "This is no trick. Allow my handmaids to demonstrate how real this is." The handmaids began to work their magic on Chen's restored manhood. Alakazam channeled more of his own sexual energy through his spoons. "As you can tell, my handmaids are very good with their hands. I assure you that they are quite adept with all part of their lovely bodies."

"Thank you Milady," chimed the twins.

Samantha moved close to Chen's face. Her long, perfumed hair brushed his bare chest. She leaned over him so her loose kimono would show her flawless skin and ample breasts. She whispered in his ear, "I know this, for I regularly train them myself. It's a shame that you went through all that pain for some abstract token of power, like a title."

"Milady," whined Cindy as she sat on Chen's hips, "the spell's worn off."

In the shadows, Alakazam's spoon had gone limp.

"Now General what good is your title? What good is your wealth? At this moment do you have that most basic power to please a woman?" The Daimyo nodded to Alakazam and the spoon straightened.

"Thank you, Milady," bubbled Cindy.

"They're grateful; are you? If you had resigned yourself not to have heirs, then what is left?" Samantha removed the gag from the General's mouth and asked, "Name?"

"Lord Garibaldi," panted Chen.

"Good," replied Samantha with a nod to her Pokemon.

Alakazam's spoon grew longer.

"Oh, thank you Milady!" squealed Cindy.

"Those two are just wonderful, wouldn't you agree Chen? I know you don't have a basis for comparison, this being your first time. But they are very skilled and have excellent stamina. Make sure to share you two."

Chen panted in frustration as the handmaids stopped to change position, then tried to beat his head against the padded table as Mindy took control.

"I call them 'handmaids' out of tradition. Besides, 'mouthmaid' sounds so vulgar. Ooh, excellent technique Mindy. 'Throatmaid' sounds trashy too, but it would be very descriptive. Now for the very low cost of one more name we can move on to other pleasures. If the name excites me, then you'll get a nice surprise. If it doesn't, well…"

"Serge, second prince of Vermillion," panted Chen desperately.

Samantha whispered into his ear, "That name does excite me." She gave his earlobe a slow lick, and said, "Here's your reward."

Chen grunted loudly as Mindy drank her fill of him. After the maids dismounted the table, Samantha said, "Hopefully tomorrow we can haggle over more information. I hope that you'll have payment ready. If you don't like the installment plan, perhaps you'll consider this: For a complete confession and a list of all your contacts, both here and abroad, I'll have your manhood permanently restored. I'll even include an all day massage session."

Samantha motioned for the handmaids to blindfold and gag the General again. The twins turned away before Alakazam bloodlessly removed his spoon. The maids followed their lady until they were out of earshot of the prisoner. "Give the prisoner enough slack for his right hand so he can reach himself and know what he is missing, but not enough so he can hurt himself."

"Yes Milady," chimed the twins.

"After I meet with my commanders, I'm going to want a massage tonight."

The twins flashed a pair of naughty smiles and said, "Yes Milady."

I opened my eyes and saw the alarm clock. It was 3:27 in the morning.

"Don't worry about the time," whispered Yuki. She was on her side and had her arm across my chest. "Just concentrate on being relaxed."

I concentrated on how warm and secure I felt and drifted off to sleep again.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Lemon Warning: If you don't know what a lemon is or you know you're not supposed to read it, then don't.

Legacy

Part Two

I woke in my own bed. Yuki was laying on her side and watching me. "Sabrina?" she asked.

"It's me," I replied.

"Want do you want to do today?"

"Let's go shopping," I suggested.

"You don't like to shop," she replied.

"I know. But I want you and Jean to remind me why."

"Yoshida's opens at ten. So we have a few hours to waste. Any ideas?" asked Yuki as she lightly tickled me.

I turned to look at her.

"Why the hell did you do that?" she demanded.

"Do what?" I asked in confusion.

"That thing with the eyes!"

I was scared. Yuki immediately sensed it. "Yuki, please tell me what you saw."

"You know how pupils are supposed to open and close?" she asked as she demonstrated with her hands.

I nodded.

"Well, for a moment your eyes closed to a slit."

"Yuki, I'm afraid that I may lose control of myself and hurt you," I confessed.

"I'm afraid that you'll lose control and hurt yourself," replied Yuki.

"Do we give in to fear and hide under the covers all day?"

"We could do something more than just hide," suggested Yuki.

I tossed off the covers and said, "Just keep me from doing something really stupid."

"Like streaking?"

"It's good exercise," I argued, but relented and said, "Okay, I'll keep my clothes on in public. Can we go for a ride?"

"Regular bicycles and regular clothes?" asked Yuki.

"I suppose," I replied.

"My bike is at the gym. As well as my clothes," Yuki added with a groan.

"I'm not teleporting today. Using psychic energy seems to trigger these episodes," I explained.

"Can I raid your closet?"

"Take your pick." Yuki and I dressed in simple yet comfortable clothes. I grabbed my bike from the living room and we took the elevator downstairs until I found an open warp tile. After a quick reprogramming with my Poketch, we teleported across town to an overlooked alley.

"You are getting very good at that," mentioned Yuki.

"In case there was an emergency, I set up a program to use the warp tiles as an evacuation system."

"So why don't you expand the system and put the subway out of business?"

"The subway is more efficient in a passenger per mile comparison. Also the warp tiles have a limit with regard to passengers per hour and the network has limits in transmission capacity and range."

"Oh."

We walked the three blocks to the gym where Ivan was sweeping. Yuki switched to her Yuri persona. "Good morning Great Sabrina," greeted Ivan with a bow.

"Mr. Geller," I replied, "'Great Sabrina' takes a long time to say, so could you use 'Milady' instead?"

"Yes, Grr…Milady," he replied.

"Thank you. The gym will be closed today since I don't feel well. This should give you the day to catch up on your other studies."

"Thank you, Milady. Is there anything else you require?"

"My bike," added Yuri, who tried to stifle a giggle.

"If you have the time, would you find me some contact information for Master Kiyo? I owe the man an apology, and it is time for the fighting dojo to be restored."

"Yes, Milady."

Yuki and I biked off in what I thought was a random direction. We found ourselves in an older neighborhood. The buildings still looked like they did in Samantha's memories. We bumped our way down a cobblestone street until I stopped and stared. The cobbles were wrong, but everything else seemed so real. I dismounted my bike, walked and looked. Yuki's questions were a faint echo of another time.

I walked down an alley and looked up at the back side of a large wooden building. I teleported onto the tile roof, climbed the slope and peered over into the street. I remembered tiles exploding from gunshots. There was a squad of soldiers, Pokemon and gunners across the street.

My left eye was blinded by pain.

"Milady!" shouted Peter. He pulled me back down the roof and bandaged my eye.

"Crack!" another roof tile exploded.

"We must flee!" insisted Peter.

"Crack! Crack!" Errol and an Alakazam collapsed and bled.

"Milady, there are six special archers using an 'arquebus'. They are located behind the infantry and heavy Pokemon," reported William, one of Samantha's special guards.

"Milady, we are exposed if they break through the lines and round the building," insisted Peter.

A glimpse into their minds was all I needed. "I'm the prize! Their goal is to kill me with their special weapons," I broadcasted to my squad.

"Then we must flee!" repeated Peter.

"We must keep them here," I corrected. I removed my helmet and threw it to William. "William, use my helmet as a decoy to keep their attention on this roof. Mr. Mime, stay here and keep the barriers in place. The rest of us will return to the castle for reinforcements."

The rest of the squad teleported with me to the castle courtyard. Doctors rushed in to carry away the wounded. I turned and called for troops: "Heavy infantry here on both sides! Second row, infantry and Golducks! Third row infantry! Fourth row archers and Alakazams! Fifth row, rearguard and Mr. Mimes! Move!"

I mentally reached out to William's mind, "Can you still see the street?"

"Yes Milady," he replied. His vision of the street was grey and fading.

"Psychics, with me: Teleport!" I commanded. We appeared behind the enemy squad. The Machamps crashed into the enemy with kanabos and knocked them senseless. The Golducks knocked over the second row with their Hydropumps. I took arrows from my quiver and telekinetically threw them. An enemy archer turned his bow; I threw my arrow through his shoulder and severed his nerves. Their heavy infantry and heavy Pokemon charged through their ranks to attack us. I threw another arrow and crippled a Nidoqueen's leg.

I opened my vision to include their nervous systems, which allowed me to see three Raichus dashing around the disorganized troops. I telekinetically grabbed one and threw him against the drenched archers, his Thunderbolt brought them down. I grabbed a second and slammed him into their rearguard. The third slipped past and into our ranks. The Mr. Mimes couldn't form their Light Screens fast enough to negate all the damage, but the Raichu left itself open to a counterattack. An Alakazam obliged by hurling it with Psychic into the face of a charging Nidoking. The Nidoking was done in by Machamp's kanabo.

Floating over the enemy was the strange thoughts of, "Magentons!"

A Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee leaped in from the flanks and knocked out two. I helped an Alakazam to knock out the other. The battle was ours. The citizen guard came from behind their barricades and secured the enemies. We teleported out our wounded, which were few.

William and Mr. Mime were still on the roof! I teleported near to William's faint thoughts. He was bleeding heavily; Mr. Mime was unconscious. I grabbed them both and teleported back to the field hospital at the castle. William still held my battered helmet in his damaged hand. When a nurse removed William's helmet, I took it and put it on myself.

"Stop right there," ordered Rebecca. "You need medical care!"

"You dare order me?" I barked.

"That battle is won, the enemy is secured and now the wounded need treatment!" Rebecca barked back. "Those are you own directives. Now hurry so I stop wasting time that could be spent treating others!"

I followed Rebecca to the treatment area. With her Alakazam and Milktank she treated the wound to stop infection and the bleeding.

With a fresh bandage in place I returned to the command center, where Yuki was shaking me.

"Snap out of it!" she insisted.

I was standing on the cobblestone street and a small crowd gathered to watch Yuki shout.

"Yuki, you're making a scene," I mentally noted.

She stopped her thrashing and replied, "ME? You were clutching at your left eye and shouting orders!"

"Look! A Giant Jigglypuff!" I shouted as I pointed to a cloud. I projected a mental image of said Pokemon, dragged Yuki to the fallen bikes and raced away.

We biked quickly to the Yoshida Department Store, where Jean was waiting for us. We secured the bikes and entered the store. "Let's get you two suited up," I declared.

"I don't like the sound of that," muttered Yuki.

"Nonsense," I replied as I dragged them to the escalator. "I just want you two to look good." On the second floor we found women's wear. I flagged a clerk and said, "Make these two look like professional and powerful women. I don't want frumpy. I don't want submissive secretaries. I want them to look like executives that break men's will." I pulled the young man close and whispered into his ear, "I want them to look like the wet-dream fantasies you have of your boss." I slipped a 10000 note into his shirt pocket.

"Yes Ma'am!" replied the clerk out loud but his mind screamed a dozen different things. He raced into the back and begged his co-workers to help.

"Sensei, what did you do?" asked a nervous Jean.

"I just motivated him," I replied.

Jean and Yuki were soon swept up in the flurry of activity: Measuring, sizing, fitting and changing into various combinations of clothes. "Why?" mentally whined Yuki.

"As we've joke too many times: Jean looks too frumpy," I mentally replied.

"But why me?"

"I just want to see you as a sexy woman for once. I won't make you wear it to work if that's what's bothering you."

"She wants to see how you measure up to Sandra," teased Jean.

"That wasn't very nice," sulked Yuki.

"There is no comparison. Sandra Nozomi is like an exquisite vase: Beautiful on the outside, but empty. Yuki, you're beautiful inside too. I want you to see that beauty."

"How are we supposed to catch Pokemon in these outfits?" pondered Yuki.

"We don't. We'll shop for that later."

"What about you, sensei?"

"I've got a closet full of clothes like that."

"Is there something else that you need?" asked a shy-voiced clerk who wore a name badge of, "Miss Yoshi".

I blinked as I adjusted my vision. "I have a person that needs to be fitted with a business suit. I want him to look like the young man you dream of meeting on the subway after work."

"But ma'am, this is women's wear," observed the young clerk.

"Yes it is." I snapped my fingers while I pushed the panic button in the mind of the first clerk to help us. He ran over to me. "Please give Miss Yoshi a copy of Yuki's dimensions." The young man did, and then scurried off. "Now Miss Yoshi, please make the arrangements." I slipped her a 10000 note to punctuate my intentions. As Miss Yoshi raced off to men's wear, the floor manager came over to inspect the commotion. He pulled the first clerk to the side and grilled him for details. I projected a somewhat dismissive snap of my fingers directly into their minds.

He held back a scowl as he walked over to me and said, "I'm the floor manager…"

I cut him off, "I am Sabrina the Gym Leader and Headmistress of the Saffron School for Psychics. This young man and Miss Yoshi have both showed initiative and attention to detail. They have been great assets to this store." I spied an unoccupied recliner near the hair salon, so I hurled it through the store and placed it gently behind me. I sat down and watched the ongoing show.

"Is th-th-there any th-thing else you re-re-require?" asked the floor manager. His stuttering reminded me of a trainer that challenged the old me years ago. In his mind I saw his nightmares of me in a one-sided gym battle.

"I am thirsty. Could you find me a Leppa water?"

He bowed and raced off.

When he returned he had three bottles chilling in a silver Champaign bucket and served me the soda in a crystal goblet he borrowed from a display. Yuki and Jean stepped out of the dressing rooms to show off their outfits, while the floor manager hovered nearby.

"Sabrina?" asked Yuki in her thoughts.

"Pay no attention to the man behind the chair," I mentally replied.

"You were about to think 'throne'," Yuki mentally scolded.

"So what if I did?"

"This Daimyo thing has gone to your head."

"Understatement of the month," I replied. I mentally reached Miss Yoshi and planted the suggestion to have the suit wrapped.

Jean was thrilled with her clothes as she modeled it to the mirror and the young clerk.

"This isn't me," Yuki mentally noted.

I touched my finger to my lips and projected the sensation to Yuki. "Do it for me, please?" I mentally asked.

"The dry-cleaning bill will be higher than my food budget," grumped Yuki out loud.

"I never bother to have them cleaned," I replied in kind. "I just give away the dirty ones, or if I had really bad day, I just set them on fire."

"I can't imagine that," replied Jean.

"The first time was a couple of years ago. I was going to meet a date in Central Park, but I was stood up. As I waited an extra hour: I spilled coffee on the blouse and the jacket's stitching made me itch. I got so mad I ripped off the blouse, jacket and skirt, threw them in a garbage can and set fire to them."

"How did you get home?" asked Yuki.

"Taxi," I replied.

"Nothing stops a taxi, like a woman in her underwear," joked Jean.

"Nothing stops a taxi like me," I growled.

"Except a brick wall," added Yuki.

"If everything is in order you two, we can move upstairs to fun clothes," I offered. Yuki and Jean nodded. I got out of the chair, exchanged a 500 coin for a soda bottle in the Champaign bucket and acknowledged the floor manager. "I believe that we are finished with this floor. Please thank your staff for their excellent service. Oh… feel free to come to the gym for a re-match."

Yuki and Jean held back their giggles until we were two floors up.

The fourth floor also sold clothes: new jeans with holes in them, color patterns that would make a Smeargle puke, shirts that are purposefully too small and tight, pants that are too long and baggy. In other words, fashion. "Jean, make sure to get a bike suit; Yuki: a miniskirt."

Word of our performance on floor two had reached the staff at this level, so I just stood and watched everyone flit about. Inspired, I put on my earpiece and called grandmother.

"Yes dear?" she answered.

"Who owns Yoshida Department Store?"

"I do," she replied.

"Would you sell it to me?"

The clerks around me panicked.

"No I would not."

"Why?"

"Because Yoshida is part of an integrated business plan that showcases products made by my other holdings. So if Yoshida and my other holdings each make a small profit then prices stay low and I stay in business. You just want Yoshida so you can torment the employees."

I tried to protest, "I'd do more than torment the employees."

"Dear, I've seen the product line of 'clothes' and 'durable goods' that your holdings manufacture, they are not something that you sell out in the open at Yoshida. If there was a market for expansion of sales outlets for your products I would have made an offer last year."

"You would sell 'toys'?" I asked.

"Retail sales is about selling people what they want, where they want it and for a price they can afford. A successful retailer knows what people will want before they do and how to convince them that they want it."

"Great business model for a psychic," I observed.

"Exactly. Since you're shopping with your friends, look over the store. If you can't come up with a better product or price for a tenth of the inventory of Yoshida, then you have no reason to buy the store."

"A tenth?" I asked.

"Please tell the clerks that you are not buying the store."

I relayed to the nervous clerks, "I am not buying the store. I'm just discussing integrated business models and retail management."

"Thank you," replied grandmother. "You may think that a tenth isn't much, but you haven't really shopped. You need to consider Pokemon accessories, kitchen appliances, furniture and electronics in addition to clothes."

"You own all those manufactures?"

"No. But let us take rice cookers as an example. The companies that I own do not make a rice cooker but they could if the market leader, Easy Chef, made their product too expensive. If the price goes up, I step in to make a cheaper product and take away their market share. Thus I force them to keep their price low. Now in the case of your 'appetites', which do you consume more: rice or your own products?"

"Rice," I answered.

"So have we got your mind working on a new project? Are you looking around and noticing fabrics? Rubber goods? Micromotors? If you are, then you're looking at it all wrong."

"Pardon?" I asked.

"You built a fortune on psychic shielding and security contracts. That is where you are the market leader."

"I doubt people need a rice cooker with Beta wave encryption," I mused.

"I only know how your business model works. You kept the workings of the shielding a well guarded secret. Only you can say if it can be used to cook rice. Don't forget that you have a network of warp tiles and a seventy story tower complex. Are you really using that to capacity? Friday and Saturday night maybe; but what about Tuesday?"

"Tuesday?"

"Does your tower make money on Tuesday? Or do you lose money five days a week, just for a two day thrill? You own the largest hotel complex in the world with access to all of Saffron City. Move your warp tiles out of the dark alleys and take over the legitimate hotel industry of Saffron City."

"Have you been reading my mind?" I joked.

"I've been reading your balance sheets."

"Why are you telling me this now?"

"One: I don't own any hotels in Saffron City. Once I realized what Saffron Tower was, I quietly sold my holdings.

"Two: You finally got a taste for real empire building."

"Samantha?" I asked.

"She's much more than a role model," replied Grandma Lilith.

"So am I building an empire, or is she?"

"Does it matter who says, 'Try it; you'll like it', or does it matter if you like it?"

I had no answer.

"One more bit of business advice: Saffron is more than the name of the city and a color. It is also an exotic and valuable spice. Run that idea past your marketing people for Saffron Tower Hotel."

"I don't have marketing people for that."

"You will. First enjoy the day with your friends; we'll talk later. Myusan sends his regards."

Jean and Yuki were patiently waiting as they stood with several bags of clothes. "Lunch time?" I asked.

"Psychic Noodles!" they cheered.

"You read my mind."

I followed the other two upstairs to the noodle stand run by my former student, Sonny and his Mr. Mime. In between curried slurps I asked, "What does a successful hotel need?"

"Clean rooms," replied Yuki.

"Good location," answered Jean.

"Hot tubs in the rooms," added Yuki who gripped my thigh.

"Shush," I half scolded.

"Restaurants," added Sonny.

"Access to transportation hubs," added Jean.

"You already said location," Yuki pointed out.

Jean asked me, "Why?"

"Grandma got me thinking about hotels," I replied.

"Going legit?" whispered Yuki.

"Sort of."

"Upgrade?" asked Jean in a whisper.

"I'd say she has," chimed Yuki. Jean and I looked at her. "Sixty floors of complete strangers having a quickie all replaced by little ol' me."

"Ahem, us," corrected Jean. "You two could have gone shopping without me, but you invited me along because you both know that you have more fun with me around."

"So you're my posse?" I asked.

"Coven," corrected Sonny under his breath.

"We're not nuns," argued Yuki.

I snickered, "Convent is for nuns. Coven is for witches."

"Seducing men…" Jean half cackled.

"Did that," I replied.

"Dance naked in the moonlight…"

"Check," acknowledged Yuki.

"Secret pacts with demons…"

"The best gardeners I could ever hope to work with," I replied. "Coven it is."

"The Psychic Sisterhood of Saffron City," toasted Jean with her (Thank goodness) water glass.

"Great alliteration, but PSOSC doesn't roll off the tongue," commented Yuki.

"More like hangs there like a tongue stud," I commented.

"You had your chance to try out Zoey's; I'm not getting one," fumed Yuki.

"Jean said dibs on the tongue stud, not me," I replied.

"Maybe for her I'll get a clip on," teased Yuki.

"They don't clip on," I observed. "Well they could, but then they would just shoot off."

"Down there? Eww," squirmed Jean.

"Go for the brass ring," teased Yuki.

"More fun than bobbing for apples."

"You could add a webpage for reviews," Yuki added.

Jean shifted the tide with, "You could add a new product line."

Yuki followed Jean's lead with, "And your spokes model could advertise it."

"On location?" hinted Jean for another trip to Reef Island.

"How am I going to get any work out of you two?"

"Modeling is work," whined Jean.

"Making love to you is work," teased Yuki with a poke to my side.

"Ouch," chided Jean.

"But I love my job," teased Yuki.

"PSS," I hissed.

"Psst, what?" asked Jean.

"Not PSST, just PSS: Psychic Sisterhood of Saffron."

"Bowling shirts," offered Yuki.

"I don't bowl," I stated flatly.

"Who'd want to bowl against two telekinetics?" asked Jean.

"Three telekinetics? Drunks?" offered Yuki.

"Bowling alley; a hotel could have a bowling alley," I pondered out loud.

"Swimming pool," insisted Yuki.

"Golf course," suggested Jean.

"I could use a warp tile to connect the hotel to a golf course," I muttered.

"Where are we going next?" asked Jean.

"Cerulean City."

"There is bound to be a golf course along the way," Jean pointed out.

"How about a swimming pool?" asked Yuki.

"The Cerulean Gym is nothing but swimming pools and water Pokemon," I said. I noticed that I was on my bicycle and following Yuki and Jean. "Did I blank out again?" I asked.

"No," replied Yuki.

"You've been talking nonstop since lunch," observed Jean.

"I hope that I enjoyed it."

"Talking?" asked Jean.

"Lunch," I replied.

"Just like yesterday," commented Yuki. "She was so focused on practicing the bow; she didn't know it was raining."

"Now she's so focused on hotels, she doesn't know she's naked," sighed Jean.

I pulled together enough awareness to realize that I was clothed.

"Made you look," teased Jean.

"Wave to the tour bus," I ordered. We each waved to a tour bus that passed in the opposite direction. Cameras quickly flashed.

"Tourists will take pictures of anything," observed Yuki.

"You'd think that three naked women on bicycles were unusual in this city," I sighed.

"Sensei?!"

"Made you look," I replied.

"Made them look," laughed Yuki as she turned down a quiet street.

"Did you really make us naked to a bus full of people?" demanded Jean.

"No. I made people think that we were naked. I can't fool cameras."

"Unless Jean isn't wearing clothes in the first place," pondered Yuki.

"Bold attempt at invisibility Jean," I praised.

"Your disguise is flawless," gushed Yuki.

"I have to concentrate really hard to block out her signal," I commented as I squinted at her rear. "I thought that was a temporary tattoo."

"Crescent moon with the cowgirl hat?" asked Yuki.

"If you two tricked me into getting a real tattoo…" fumed Jean.

"I told you Sabrina, get two glasses of wine into her and she'll agree to anything," joked Yuki as we stopped at their apartment building.

Jean rushed inside. Yuki and I followed as we brought in the purchases. When we entered the apartment, Jean came out of the bathroom while pulling up her pants. "There's no tattoo!" growled Jean.

"Made you look," I replied.

"You like that game," commented Yuki.

"It's my first time."

"Never thought I'd hear you say that," scoffed Jean. "Next she'll say that it was a stunt double that did it with a trainful of men."

"Trainful?" asked Yuki coldly. "How much is a trainful?"

"How many can ride the Phallic Express?" asked Jean.

"About a thousand," I muttered.

"You had sex with a thousand men, just to make a video? Doesn't pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases ever cross your mind?" shouted Yuki.

"Of course it does."

"When? After every hundred men you take a break and say, 'It doesn't itch yet'?"

I activated the stop watch feature on my Poketch, then 'transported' Yuki and me back to the beach outside of Fuchsia City. We returned to the moment when I teleported her out of the ocean to get away from the Sharpedo. Yuki was naked and on her back. I was on all fours and breathing hard. If I looked forward I saw her concerned face. If I looked away I would see her fit and naked form. Gravity and something else was pulling me down. Anticipation and longing were the only thoughts in our minds. There were no other thoughts on the beach: not Jean's nor Espeon's. Thankfully fear stole the strength from my arms so I laid my body on top of Yuki and my lips on hers.

Yuki wasn't startled by my actions and kissed me back. We kissed lightly at first then heavy and passionately. As our tongues explored each other; our desperate hands grabbed at any handhold to pull us closer together. We broke our kiss and came up for air. I rubbed my body against hers. "This isn't right," commented Yuki.

"Yuki, I, I love you," I replied. "I love you like I never loved anyone before. Please don't say that it's wrong."

"Sabrina, I love you too. But this isn't what happened. You rescued me from the Sharpedo, then Jean. We were never alone on the beach."

"Please don't be mad…"

"You took memories from the beach and mixed them with Reef Island," Yuki observed.

"Yes."

"Our real bodies are still in Saffron City?"

"Yes."

"But it feels so real."

I reached down between her legs. "Very real," I purred. "And psychic sex is safe sex."

"Can we go back to our real bodies?"

I said, "Close your eyes," and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. When I finished the kiss we were standing in her apartment. I checked my Poketch and said, "Ten seconds."

"Are you two going to fight?" asked Jean.

"I hope not," I replied.

"We experienced all that in ten seconds?" asked Yuki.

"What?" asked Jean.

"Psychic sex," replied Yuki.

"Head games?" asked Jean.

"You could say that," I replied. "I tried real physical sex a few times, but I didn't really enjoy it. It just did measure up to what I imagined it would be. But after I stayed in a Love Hotel where I sensed other people's ideas about sex, I found I enjoyed it more up here." I tapped my temple.

"Is that why you were sympathetic toward Sandra?" asked Yuki.

I nodded.

"Jean, could you give us a minute alone?" asked Yuki.

Jean went to her room.

"Sabrina, was today the first time you tried your psychic sex on me?"

I nodded and said, "When you kissed me that first time at my apartment, it felt wonderful. I wanted it to be real. I wanted someone to kiss me and love me for who I was and not because I created a fantasy for them. But I knew you were under the influence of the occupants of Saffron Tower, so I knew it was just a fantasy again."

"Since I realized that I was in a reconstructed memory does that mean I'm in control of my own thoughts?" asked Yuki.

"I hope so."

"Since I'm in my right mind let me say that I love you Sabrina. All the reasons that I came to Saffron City to be near you are still true." Yuki took my hand and held it. I just stood there and felt comforted.

"Are you two still fighting?" asked Jean from her bedroom.

"We're not fighting," replied Yuki.

"Can I come out now, or are you two going to do it in the living room?"

I felt myself going pale and faint.

"You better come out and help Sabrina to the couch!"

Jean rushed out and helped Yuki move me to the couch.

"I don't see you using that trick on a thousand men, if it makes you that sick," commented Yuki.

"Samantha's memories are interfering with my abilities. When I moved the chair at the store I felt weak afterwards."

"Are we still going to Cerulean City?" asked Jean.

"Probably not," commented Yuki.

"Need to get a synchronize Pokemon," I muttered.

"Lady Lilith told her to," commented Yuki.

"Maybe that will help her synchronize her memories with Samantha's," speculated Jean.

"In that case, let's go right now," I replied as I tried to get to my feet.

"Why don't you just stay on the couch for a few minutes while Yuki and I pack," Jean offered in a way that I couldn't refuse.

"Pack?" asked Yuki. "I just unpacked from the last trip."

"We're not exploring caves and catching Pokemon in the wild dressed like this," Jean pointed out. "Just grab the basics and some emergency supplies."

I tried to watch them hustle about the place, but my visions of them blended with images of an ancient field hospital and a burning port.

"Stay in this century!" shouted Yuki from the other room.

'This century' somehow involved a van.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"In a van, coming up to the edge of the city," announced Jean from the front seat.

Our bags and bikes were in a pile behind my seat. "Jean thought it best to use a taxi," explained Yuki, who sat next to me.

I nodded in agreement. Then I nodded in time to the rise and fall of the powerlines that paralleled the road.

"There's a golf course!" declared Jean.

"Is it Moon Lake?" I asked.

"Yes."

"They have a restraining order against me," I declared.

"Why?" asked Jean and Yuki together.

"Because I played a round of golf there with a business client and ruined the club record."

"You used telekinesis didn't you?" asked Jean.

"What was the score?" asked Yuki.

"Nineteen," I replied.

"Nineteen?" asked Jean, Yuki and the driver.

"I tried to look like I knew what I was doing and took a big swing at the ball and missed. So I took the putter, tapped the ball and launched it into the hole."

"I wish I could have seen that first swing," giggled Yuki.

"What did the client think?" asked Jean.

"That I cheated, but I got results. So I got the contract. I also kept the putter. I think Gengar used it in his topiary."

"How does golf compare to archery?" asked Jean.

"Golf is much easier," I replied. "If you miss the hole, just push the ball around until it goes in. I had the client laughing at a few holes. Onetime I bounced the ball over twenty times until it landed in the hole. The client compared my performance to miniature golf."

"Now I want to try," declared Jean with her infectious energy.

"I'll have to get you drunk, if I want a fighting chance," declared Yuki.

I tried to meditate and ignore the nausea, until the driver announced, "Cerulean City."

"I need air," I replied. So the van stopped, we paid and collected our bikes.

As we biked around the edge of town, Jean asked, "Sensei, why is it that you want the fighting dojo restored?"

"Psychic powers don't work well against Dark and Steel types. So with loyal allies and fighting Pokemon it was possible for Saffron City to throw off all invaders."

"But you don't expect us to fight wars do you?"

"No. But it's something I need to do for the history of the city."

"I wonder how they feel about that," pondered Jean.

"They?" asked Yuki.

"If the fighting dojo is restored just for historical reasons, then the members and their Pokemon just become museum pieces. What if they need to do something to feel worthwhile?"

"As a gym, ours doesn't have much physical activity," pondered Yuki.

I coughed.

"Aside from the little rendezvous in the first aid station," Yuki corrected.

"You two in the first aid station?" asked Jean.

"Not us," replied Yuki.

"You need to keep a better eye on your students," I half scolded.

"Why not have the fighting dojo be responsible for physical training and we take their students for mental discipline?"

"Have you been reading my mind?" I asked.

"Not in your condition," scoffed Yuki.

"I think that the fighting dojo is on the historical register. Which means they will find it very difficult to expand their facilities," I stated.

"Can we expand our gym to include, well, a gym?" asked Jean.

I gave an evil laugh.

The other two were silent.

"I think I'll put in a pool and have Yuki give swim lessons," I mused.

"A pool of my own," replied Yuki dreamily.

"So what's the joke?" asked Jean.

"How is Yuki going to teach swim classes, if Yuri is already teaching classes? How much confidence do you have in your disguise ability?"

"That sounds like a challenge," retorted Yuki. "I'll take that challenge, but…" She paused for the effect, "You have to learn how to swim. Not walking on water. Breaststroke, backstroke or Butterfree, it doesn't matter but I get to teach you how to swim."

"Deal."

"What about me?" asked Jean.

"You can swim," Yuki pointed out.

"If Yuki gets a pool, what do I get?"

"A trampoline," replied Yuki.

"What?"

Yuki and I both looked at Jean. The occasional rut of the road made her ample breasts bounce and sway.

"Mechanical Tauros," I suggested.

"Ride 'em, Midnight Cowgirl!" cheered Yuki.

"What are you two talking about?" asked Jean. True she was my most advanced student in the field of telekinesis, but she had a way to go in telepathy.

"Just look down your shirt," I hinted.

She did. Her bike went through a rough spot and she started to blush. "That's not funny," she whined.

After we shared the laugh, I said, "Jean, you are the most advanced telekinetic I have. How could you use a gym to further your student's, and their Pokemon's, abilities?"

"Archery?" she guessed.

"Try something original," retorted Yuki.

"Oh you're one to talk. When Sabrina said that she would build a pool, you thought it was just for you," argued Jean.

"That's why I want written lesson plans from both of you on how you will use the pool and other potential gym facilities. I'll need it before I can go to the Pokemon League and the city council for money."

"But you're rich sensei," pointed out Jean.

"And I intend to stay that way. If we can't get higher enrollment and a higher stipend from the Pokemon League, then the gym expansions will slowly eat away at our operating budget. Pools are not cheap. If the pool is to be for humans and Pokemon, then it will have to have an advance filtration system and not rely on cheap chlorine."

"And I thought you were buying me a pool," pouted Yuki.

"She's buying Yuri a pool," teased Jean.

"Since we'll be in Cerulean City, we can go to the gym and discuss price and maintenance," I suggested.

"You just want to scope out Ash Ketchem," teased Yuki.

"If you get a ride, I want one too," Jean squealed.

"You've got Champion," I pointed out.

"But that's just a replica," whined Jean.

"Didn't you write on your blog, 'Self lubricating, heated, with hydraulic actuators and vein pulsing action, this is truly the Champion that sets the bar very high'?" asked Yuki.

"She wants to interview the real champion so she can compare," I teased.

"Or kick him in the Pokeballs for putting her out of business. Who will need to read reviews when they know that the best is Champion?" pondered Yuki.

"There are plenty of other things to review and write about, like 'What's the latest video release?'" argued Jean.

We rode away from town and across Nugget Bridge. We turned west and soon found the cliff wall and the end of grassy riverbank.

"Did you pack a boat?" asked Yuki.

"No, I packed a spy," I replied as I released Gengar from his Pokeball.

Gengar floated through the solid rock until he found a cavern large enough for our group. I teleported the three of us inside, then wished I had packed a boat. When I regained consciousness, Yuki and Jean had flashlights on, the bikes were parked and my Pokemon, Gardevoir, Espeon and Gengar, were close-by.

Jean and Yuki's nervousness was overwhelming my awareness. "Relax you two," I said.

Jean's mind raced through reasons why she couldn't relax: She didn't know the way out. If I can't teleport, we're stuck. We have limited food…

"Jean! Please stop. Espeon can smell both river water and the salty sea breeze, which means she can follow it to the exit. Once you stop panicking I can concentrate, get me a Pokemon and get out of here. Now, everyone spread out so I can see the size of this place." The cavern was about the size of a Pokemon battlefield. Aside from a few boulder piles, the floor was rather level.

"Thank you, now everyone gather at this end." We moved toward the tunnel where the fresh air came in. "Gardevoir, it's time to use Attract. Yuki and Jean: think sexy thoughts." I linked my mind to Gardevoir and pushed her Attract beyond its limits.

A Kadabra teleported into the cavern. Then another. Then five more. Four females arrived looking for their mates. Then the stampede arrived: Golbats, Parasects, Primeapes, Machokes, Geodudes, Gravelers, Psyducks, Golducks, Slowpokes and Slowbros. Caught up in the wave of lustful Pokemon were Magentons and Electrodes. As the males stood and swooned, their female counterparts arrived to see why.

"I think I went a little too far," I muttered.

"Never my dearest Sabrina," protested Yuki with hearts in her eyes. She was tugging at her clothes as she said, "You can go all the way with me."

"Jean, I need ideas quick," I said nervously.

Jean's mind raced through ideas until she said, "We're going live in five minutes, so we need everyone in their places. Sabrina, you stand here. Now I need male Kadabras with synchronize over here on this side of the rock pile. Magentons, float into a line here so the audience can see. Electrodes, do the same underneath. Gardevoir and Yuki, you'll be ushers. Audience members form up over there; Short Pokemon in front, tall ones in back."

Everyone stared at Jean. "I believe I made myself clear," she stated sternly. "Now we can stand around and have a useless staring contest, or you can take your positions. Move." A bewildered Magenton floated into position. "Very good Magneton. That is professionalism." A Kadabra teleported to behind the rock pile and Jean said, "We have our first brave candidate are there more?"

With her praising and directions, the group was ready in four minutes.

"Welcome everyone to the Cerulean Cave Connection! I'm your hostess, Jean. Today our lovely trainer is Sabrina, who is a long time trainer of psychic Pokemon and a psychic herself, is going to be matched up with one of our lucky Kadabra candidates!"

Gardevoir and Yuki clapped, cheered and got the crowd of wild Pokemon to do the same albeit the Slowbro were slow to react.

"So Sabrina, please tell us what you look for in a Kadabra."

"For starters: his mustache must be long and firm, and he should have a great big spoon," I replied.

"So Kadabra number one, please describe your spoon," bubbled Jean.

Kadabra #1 went into a detailed description of his spoon. Length, width and height were given in relation to the distance a thought travels in a reflexive blink of an eye. Conductivity of psychic energy and specific gravity were given relative to water. Since the audience all looked as bewildered as the Slowpokes, Jean cut him off.

"Thank you Kadabra #1. How about you Kadabra #2? Can you give a shorter, yet vivid description of your spoon?"

Kadabra #2 apologized since the spoon was part of him, he could only describe it in terms of himself, which was irrelevant since we were separated by the rocks.

Kadabra #3 claimed that his spoon was more than I could handle. That got some whoops and jeers from the Primeapes.

When that calmed down, Jean continued, "Our Kadabra candidates were chosen for their Synchronize special ability…"

I asked, "Kadabra #3, how do you describe Synchronize?"

"Kabra dabra," he replied which translates as, "Do to me; do to you."

The Primeapes nodded in agreement to that sentiment. Some of the Parasects shuddered.

"Kadabra #2," I asked, "Have you ever used Synchronize in a way other than to return a condition like paralysis or poison?"

Kadabra #2 described a case when his Golduck friend was hit by a falling rock, and he helped her by using Recover and Synchronize.

Kadabra #1 then rebutted the story by claiming that Synchronize is purely an involuntary reaction that Kadabra's developed through natural selection to cope with the conditions of living in a cave system in close proximity to Parasects and their spores.

Once again, the Primeapes were confused. The Parasects and audience Kadrabras nodded in agreement. A few Golducks and Psyducks talked amongst themselves. The Slowpokes and Slowbros finally voiced their approval, for the Kadabra #2.

Misty, Ash and his Pikachu rounded the corner. "What's going on here?" demanded the redhead.

I projected a wave of calm across the audience then replied, "What does it look like?"

Misty looked at the two part stage with the rocky outcrop that separated me from the Kadabras. She saw the Magentons floating above and Electrodes on the ground, all of whom acted as stage lights. "It looks like you're putting on a version of Cerulean Love Connection," replied Misty.

"Exactly."

Yuki directed the new comers to the audience.

Misty tried to protest, "But…"

"Sorry Misty, but you'll have to come back later if you two want to be in the Newlywed Battle Tournament," joked Jean. Jean turned to me and asked, "Are you ready to make your pick?" I nodded. "Which one should she pick?" She went to the other stage and asked, "Should she choose Kadabra #1?"

The Kadabras in the audience cheered. The Dittos cheered for the sake of cheering.

"Should she choose Kadabra #2?" This got the most cheers from the Psyducks, Golducks and the lone Poliwag.

"Should she choose Kadabra #3?" The Primeapes and Gravelers were definitely behind that candidate.

"Tell us Sabrina: Which Kadabra do you choose?"

"Kadabra #2!"

Gardevoir and Yuki fired the crowd up to cheer and applaud. I sensed that the other Kadabra's teleported away.

I walked around the wall and saw Kadabra #2 who looked bewildered. "D' ab?" he asked.

"I want you to be my Pokemon," I explained. "But if you prefer, we could battle and I'll catch you the traditional way."

Kadabra nodded and held his spoon in a ready position.

"All right a battle!" cheered Ash, which was followed by the Primeapes and Gravelers. Ash's curiosity over what Pokemon I would use to battle broadcasted clearly through the din.

From my belt I pulled out, a spoon.

"Kadabra?" asked the Pokemon.

I took that same ready stance as my target, but he lowered his guard in disbelief.

I hit his spoon with a full strength thrust of psychic energy. His spoon began to warp. He quickly recovered, stopped the warping of his spoon and reversed the damage. He left the repair unfinished so he could surprise me with an attack on my spoon. I tried to dodge by shifting the spoon's resonant psychic frequency, but as a true Kadabra, he decoded my actions quickly and attacked relentlessly.

I played my last trump by closing the distance between us and clashing the spoons together. I poured my psychic and physical energy through my spoon and into his. I let my long hair drape over his sensitive whiskers. He used his tail for balance. I held my spoon to my midsection and pressed my whole body against his spoon. The humidity of the cave was stifling, but that meant that my pheromones would be attacking his system. I spotted my moment and forced my way through. Kadabra collapsed backward and I fell on top of him.

"I won," I panted.

Kadabra smiled and asked, "Dab?"

I rolled off Kadabra and looked at my spoon: it and Kadabra's spoon were twisted together like links in a chain. "Heh," was all I could manage to say. I tossed him the spoons and Grandma's special Pokeball. After the double catch, the humans rushed over to me.

"Sabrina, are you alright?" asked Ash.

"Bet you never caught a Pokemon that way," I muttered before I passed out.

I regained consciousness in an unfamiliar bed. Faithful Yuki was watching over me. "When the phrases, 'sleeping around', and 'waking up in a stranger's bed' are used does it mean that other people do what I do?"

"Everyone does it," teased Yuki. "Ash was just saying how before the Indigo championships he woke up in ten different beds every day."

"I'm such a slacker," I replied.

"That's my Sabrina," Yuki said with a smile. I knew she meant that I was me and not under the influence of Samantha's memories.

"Bucket, now!" I ordered. Yuki was frozen, so I telekinetically grabbed the waste bucket and yelled my breakfast and lunch into it. "Great, using my psychic abilities makes me nauseous."

"Maybe you're pregnant," joked Yuki.

I closed my eyes and replied, "Ha ha."

"Well if it's good news that you want, I have Misty who wants to scold you, Officer Jenny wants to arrest you and Nurse Joy wants to confiscate Kadabra."

I opened an eye at Yuki and waited for the punch line.

"Trespassing," she said.

"If they haven't confiscated my bag, you'll find an envelope inside," I groaned.

Yuki moved across the room, rustled in my bag, then handed me the envelope. I checked the contents and said, "Send in the first contestant."

The first contestants were both Misty and Jenny. Thankfully they didn't shout. "Are you okay?" asked Misty.

"Just seasick," I replied. "Now before you two start, I have here official permission to enter the Cerulean Cave and capture any Pokemon I see fit." I handed Jenny a document with enough watermarks, stamps, seals and signatures that would give any police officer pause; which it did, so Officer Jenny handed the document to Misty. "Are you satisfied Officer?" I asked.

"Your document seems in order," she replied. "I'll inform Nurse Joy to return the Pokemon to your custody, unless Misty wishes to challenge the authenticity of the document."

"No officer. Sorry to bother you," replied a stunned Misty.

Jenny gave a salute and left the room.

Misty studied the document and asked, "Who is Lady Lilith?"

"My Grandmother," I replied.

She handed the document back to me and I handed it and the envelope to Yuki.

"You could have called ahead and warned us," Misty pointed out.

"Oops. I didn't think that anyone would notice since no one is supposed to be in there," I replied.

"There is a research team from Saffron University," stated Misty.

"Did they get my Grandmother's permission?"

"No, I told them it would be alright."

"Misty, your clan has had the honorable duty to protect the sacred Cerulean Cave for centuries. As Gym Leader, you have inherited that solemn charge. The secrets of the cave are not meant for the world to know. Now contact Lady Lilith, and Officer Jenny, then remove the research team and confiscate everything."

"But… she may be your grandmother… who do you think you are?" stammered the redhead.

"I am Princess Sabrina, heir to the Saffron Throne and Lady of Marsh Castle," I growled in the way nobility does. "If I have to get up to make the call, I'll, I'll…" I closed my eyes and said, "I'll puke all over you. Please Misty, this is important."

"Fine," replied Misty who stomped out of the room.

"If that's fine, I hate to see her when she's mad," quipped Yuki at the slammed door.

There was a gentle knock at the door. Yuki opened it and Nurse Joy announced in her cheery way, "Some visitors to see you."

I heard my Pokemon come in greet me:

"Gardevoir," was said with warmth.

"Espe," was said with concern.

"Ge ge ge," was chuckled, then followed with, "Gengar?"

"Stay out of the bucket of vomit," I ordered.

"I'll take care of that," offered Nurse Joy.

"Kadabra?"

"Well I need to exercise more if I'm to keep up with a strong Pokemon like you," I replied.

"Poli?" and "Golduck?" were both asked with a hint of confusion.

I was confused as well. I opened my eyes and saw a Golduck standing next to Kadabra. "That explains why I heard, 'Golduck'," I said out loud.

"Poli?" asked the voice that came from the floor.

I carefully turned my head and looked. "Sure enough you are a Poliwag and not an auditory hallucination."

"Poli?"

"Hello there Cutie," I said to the little one.

"Poli!" she replied with a smile.

"Yuki, why did I catch three Pokemon?"

Yuki explained, "Golduck and Poliwag are Kadabra's friends. They were so excited that Kadabra won the game show they didn't realize that his prize was to be captured. When we tried to drag you out of the cave, they tried to stop us. Gengar and Espeon attacked and you threw two Pokeballs to capture them. You sure impressed Ash Ketchem. Wait until he hears that you did it while unconscious."

"How impressed?" I purred. Then I realized the company I kept so I said, "What time is it?"

"Dinnertime," replied Yuki, which got a chorus of Pokemon cheers. She led the Pokemon out, but Espeon stayed behind and hopped on the bed. She laid down and put her head on my legs.

"I'll be fine," I said to her. "Go get something to eat."

"Esp," she replied as she kept vigil over me and the door.

I scratched her back as I dozed off.

Yuki returned later with a cart and gave me three Pokeballs. She put two in my bag, while I wore Kadabra's ball on a gold chain around my neck. A feeling that was not quite nausea swept over me. My sense of my surroundings changed slightly. Yuki looked at me nervously.

"Interesting," I commented. "This Pokeball is a specially commissioned Synch Ball. I guess that its purpose is to let a synchronize Pokemon share its senses with the trainer."

"Don't you take after an Alakazam anyway?" asked Yuki.

"Somehow this is different. It's like reading two different translations of the same text."

"He is a different Pokemon than Alakazam," Yuki pointed out. "Since Espeon wanted to stay here, I brought her, and you, some dinner."

I ate and kept my dinner down. Espeon and Yuki both looked a little relieved. "Where's Jean," I asked.

"She went to the Cerulean Gym to ask about pools, maintenance and expenses," replied Yuki.

"And here she comes," I announced as footsteps raced closer.

Jean burst into the room and shouted, "I did it!"

"Uh oh," I replied.

"What?" asked Yuki.

"I got an interview with Ash Ketchem!" she shouted.

"Jean!" I replied sternly to get her attention and stop her from shouting. "Close the door. Now explain yourself so I can fire you and apologize to Misty for you having sex with her husband."

Jean blushed and stammered, "I didn't do that. I did a proper interview of the model for Champion."

"Did you reveal his identity?" asked Yuki.

"No."

"Did you reveal that he's the Kanto League Champion?" I asked.

"No. He's champion of the Reef Island Come as a Pokemon Contest, and he really did break those roof tiles," Jean said proudly.

"Wow," was all Yuki could say.

"Did Misty really crush that squash?" I asked.

Jean nodded.

"Wow," Yuki said again.

"So when he lifted her…?" I asked.

"No wires," Jean boasted.

"Wow."

"Talk about being made for each other," I mused.

"He mentioned that too."

"We didn't think that was humanly possible," said Yuki.

"It isn't possible for normal humans," I replied.

"Psychics?" asked Jean.

"Didn't he tell you?" asked Yuki.

"All he said is that they practice, a lot. Sometimes they practice over ten times a day."

"He may be psychic, it would explain Anabel's attraction to him," I mused. "I bet Dr. Orchid knows the secret."

"So, did you get to test drive the real thing?" asked Yuki.

"I was too scared to even ask," shuddered Jean.

"How come you've never taught us those psychic skills?" asked Yuki.

"I'm not sure it's psychic based. Despite the nausea, I've been getting insight in other ways to use our abilities. If Samantha knew how to pull off those stunts, I would have known by now," I answered.

"But you've been getting mostly flashbacks of battles," replied Yuki.

"But Samantha rarely used her abilities to make physical changes to herself. She didn't make herself stronger so she could pull her bow; she just used telekinesis to directly flex the bow." I noticed that Jean was eager to leave the room, so I said, "Do everyone a favor and let us read the article before you post it online for the whole world to see."

"Don't worry," replied Jean as she went for the door, "I promised Ash that I'd let him have a copy to give to his agent. If she approved, then I'll post the story."

Jean flew out the door and down the hall.

"I'll keep an eye on her, unless you need me for something else," offered Yuki.

"I hope to get some sleep," I replied, "If I can get over the smells."

"Nurse Joy did a good job cleaning up after you," replied Yuki as she sniffed.

"But now I'm going to lie here and catalog each smell that I can find."

"You have the most interesting hobbies," teased Yuki.

I looked in the direction of Jean, who was typing on a computer several rooms away, and said, "I fit right in."

"Or maybe we just take after you," teased Yuki as she left.

So I went to sleep cataloging smells. Somewhere after fabric softener and window cleaner I had a dream. The dream was of a romantic rendezvous of Nurse Joy and Officer Jenny. They used the larger bed on the other side of the room. The image was vague, but the smells were vivid. So vivid, that they came from every direction. I opened my mind to the 'echoes' and sensed the passion and lust that lingered.

I woke early the next morning, refreshed. So I got up, dressed and wandered around the Pokemon Center. The first person I found awake was the cook Nell. She had coffee ready in the cafeteria. "Good Morning," she greeted.

"That must be strong coffee," I replied as I poured myself a cup.

"Actually, I'm a morning person. I love the way the city wakes up in the morning. I love the feeling of energy that's about to burst out."

I toasted her with my coffee cup. I found my way outside; there I opened my mind to the faint stirrings of Cerulean City.

Yuki's thoughts asked, "Sabrina?"

"I'm outside watching the city wake up," I mentally replied.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Much. No dreams of Samantha last night. Trivia question for you: What percentage of infirmaries are used for sex?"

"I don't know; what?" asked Yuki.

"I don't know either but so far it's two for two." I had a sip of the coffee and broadcasted all my senses to Yuki.

"Where did you get the coffee?" she asked.

"Cafeteria; on your left."

Moments later Yuki was outside with her own coffee. "So who did you do it with this time?" she asked.

"You make me sound like some sex crazed psycho," I replied.

"I'm sorry," she said. "So, you sex crazed psychic, who did you do it with?"

"What were their names?" I teased. "Jenny and Joy."

"What's the punch line? Unless those two had some really sick vomit fetish, I doubt you would have been any fun for anyone," Yuki retorted.

"I don't think they were into that. I did discover that my new Kadabra was enhancing my sense of smell."

"So you smelled Jenny and Joy doing it?"

"No, I smelled that Jenny and Joy did it, in that room, on several occasions. Then using Future Sight backwards I got a somewhat accurate visual display."

"So now we go to the Cerulean Gym and you sniff around for Ash's secrets."

"No. We go to the Cerulean Gym, wait for grandma to arrive and hope she doesn't bring the building down on those scientists."

"Why?"

"I don't know all the family secrets, yet."

As I sat on the steps I leaned back and saw that Yuki was wearing the miniskirt that we bought the day before. "Cute," I said. I squinted at the thong she wore under the dress and asked, "Are those little Solrocks and Lunatones?"

"Yes," she replied as she sipped her own coffee.

"How does it feel to wear cute clothes?"

"It's okay; but don't expect me to make a habit of it."

"Of course not." I telekinetically teased her and saw her twitch through the thin fabric of her underwear.

"Sabrina!" she hissed.

"See what you're missing when you wear pants?"

"I thought your abilities were making you nauseous?"

"The synchronize ball did the trick and I feel great. Give me a minute and you'll feel great too," I purred.

"These are new clothes; can't I keep them clean for more than an hour?" argued Yuki.

I teleported her thong to my open hand and said, "Good idea."

"That's not what I meant."

As Yuki grew wet I gathered the moisture together into a miniature copy of me. The little Sabrina moved about Yuki's sensitive region like an Ursaring scratching an itch on a tree.

"I am amazed at the level of control I have."

"You're not displaying self-control," argued Yuki.

"You're resisting me," I observed.

"You're not the daimyo; you don't get everything that you want," replied Yuki as she sipped her coffee.

I sipped my own coffee and said, "True. But I do know you well enough to know your defenses." My moist clone poked her head out of Yuki and used her mini mouth to please Yuki's almost male-like pleasure center. "Now what my love? If you think you're Yuki then my little friend will kick and splash. If you think you're Yuri the she's got you with her teeth."

"If you make me climax then I'll drop my coffee on you," responded Yuki.

"You wouldn't…"

She did. She let down her defenses and swooned as she enjoyed herself. I scrambled out of the way. Telekinetically, I grabbed the falling cup but my clothes were hit by the splashing coffee.

"I like this game. Did I win?" asked a smug Yuki.

"Here's your prize," I replied as I waved her underwear like a cape before a Tauros.

Yuki grabbed the thong and shoved into her pocket. "Sorry about the coffee stain," she said.

I shrugged and made a motion to pull off my pants, but Yuki scolded, "Don't take off your clothes and burn them: there are children around. Besides if I have to wear this, then you have to wear what we bought you."

"What did you buy?"

"That's a surprise, courtesy of Lady Lilith keeping you distracted with your telephone conversation."

I worked my way into the tight little clothes that they bought. "Who designed a denim bikini?" I wondered out loud.

"It's not a bikini," corrected Yuki. "Short-shorts and tank top: Simple."

"Trashy," I replied.

"Hush. I've seen your closet of costumes; this is for more decent than any of those."

After dragging Jean out of bed, and eating breakfast, we biked to the gym. As I walked up to the entrance I said, "I think grandma has been here already."

"Why?" asked Jean.

"Can you sense it Yuki?"

"A chill in the air…" shuddered Yuki.

"Grandma was not in a good mood," I replied. We entered the gym and looked around for Misty; she was in the main hall training a Gyarados.

"I always wondered who you took after," Misty said. "When we first met, you were nothing like you mother. Your father was helpful, but cryptic."

"Are you going to be okay?" I asked.

Misty nodded. "I can't say the same for the scientists."

"What did she do?" asked Yuki.

"She said she wouldn't do anything. Then three Alakazams teleported into the room and wiped out their memories. The scientists begged for help, but she said that she wouldn't do anything." Misty shivered.

"Those would have been the Elders: Ka'za, Zama and Bob. Where your family has guarded the cave, the Elders guard the mysteries. This is why it is important to keep people from getting in the cave," I pointed out.

Misty turned to me and asked, "What kind of secrets are worth doing that to a person?"

"The secrets that can be made into weapons," I replied without flinching. I moved closer and asked, "Ever meet a Pokemon so powerful that it could take over the world? Ever meet a person who would use it?"

Misty looked away.

"Misty. I assume that you find this all difficult to understand. But be relieved that the scientists were stopped and that the secrets are still safe."

Misty nodded.

"Now before Jean pees in the pool, would please look over her interview so she can publish it?" I asked.

"Me?"

"Who else would be Ash's agent?"

"I guess I am the brains of this outfit," she replied with a sigh.

Jean offered Misty an envelope. Misty removed the contents and read them.

"What I remember of Ash is that he may brag, but he can't tell a decent lie," I mentioned.

"So the stunt with the squash…" Yuki prompted.

"That was real," replied Misty. "Is that why you all showed up, to read my mind and learn my secrets?"

"We were going to put a pool in the Saffron Gym and wanted to get ideas from you," replied Yuki.

"I've got enough secrets to keep, I don't need to find more," I added.

Misty finished reading and said, "It's fine. Go ahead and post it."

"Thank you!" exclaimed Jean, before she ran out of the gym.

"Where is she going?" asked Yuki.

"The computer in the Pokemon Center," I replied.

"She could have used my computer. Better still, she could use Ash's computer," offered Misty.

"The Pokemon League Champion is a little behind the times?" I asked.

"When I sent him a text message that I was calling in an IT specialist, he called and asked, 'Why do we need an 'it' specialist, we do it ten times a day? Doesn't that make us specialists?'"

Yuki was the first to crack with giggles. I followed. "Was that in the interview?" asked Yuki.

"I hope not," replied Misty. "Or else everyone will know that he really does think with his genitals."

"Who transformed an innocent, small-town Pokemon trainer into an unstoppable sex machine?" I asked.

"What was the name of the Sinnoh coordinator with the miniskirts?" asked Yuki.

"Ha ha," replied Misty flatly. "Ash may not be a good liar, but Champion is."

"Oh?" I asked. "Fish story?"

"Champion is at most 90% of the size of Ash," Misty replied smugly.

"Ash is a bad liar, but how about you?" I asked.

"No lie," replied Misty with a smile that made Gyarados shudder. "If Champion was made full sized it would need safety stickers on the box. Champion 700, Champion 800 and Champion 900 are sizes. The Champion 1000 is sold as a novelty/display model, but it is the real size."

"Were you the test pilot for Champion?" I asked.

"Who else?" replied Misty as she tossed a Pokeblock for Gyarados.

"A Wailord?" mused Yuki out loud.

"Can we use you as a 'reliable source' for a follow up article?" I teased.

"Only if it can be used to boost sales of Champion or the videos," replied Misty.

"You really are the brains of this outfit," quipped Yuki.

"And she thinks with Ash's genitals," I added.

"Misty, was that May who just ran by?" asked Ash as he entered the training hall.

"That was Jean," I replied. "She's going to post your interview."

Ash shrugged off the idea, then asked, "Are you feeling better Misty?"

Misty nodded.

"Since this trip was about the pool, do you mind if my new Pokemon go for a swim?" I asked.

"Go ahead," offered Misty.

I released Golduck and Poliwag into the pool. Gyarados greeted them as warmly as a Gyarados could. "Swim around you two. If I put in a pool like this in my gym, I have to know if it meets with your approval."

"You too, Starmie," added Yuki as she released her Pokemon into the water.

"Do you want the elevated pool option?" asked Misty.

"I doubt we'll be putting on water shows," I replied.

"There's more to it than that. Ash, would you go raise the pool?" Misty asked.

Ash walked to a control room. Hydraulic pumps whirred as the transparent walls of the pool lifted half a meter up, then stopped with an unusual sound.

"Misty!" Ash called out. "The pump broke, again."

"Which is a good reason not to get the elevated pool option," I added.

"Over ten thousand metric tons of water to move; want to give it a try?" asked Misty.

"I'm really good at breaking things; not lifting," I replied.

"She makes us do the hard work," joked Yuki.

"…Bob?" asked Misty.

"Bob what?" asked Yuki.

"The Alakazam's name is Bob?"

"Not Bob as short for Robert, but Bob: a short nod of the head. He is the silent one of the group, but the physically strongest," I explained.

"You made that up," admonished Yuki.

"No, I met them before. I didn't know why at the time, but they did give me my first Pokemon Abra."

"Here's Jeanie," announced Yuki before the third member of our trio returned. Her feet came to a screeching halt, but her upper body stayed in motion for a second or two.

"And that's why I recommended the bike suit," I explained.

Misty pointed to my clothes and asked, "Was that your idea too?"

"We picked that," proclaimed Yuki as she grabbed Jean.

"Doesn't she look good?" asked Jean.

I could sense Misty fuming. I realized that I was wearing the same outfit that Misty wore to my gym almost a decade earlier. I definitely filled out the clothes more than she did, or could at this point in time. "Personally, I think that the tank top would work better on Yuki," I said.

"I couldn't fill out the smallest one on the rack," grumped Yuki.

"I don't mean to fill it out, but for it to hang really loose. So there's a tease of seeing something. I remember a certain teenager who did the same thing."

"I also remember a certain teenager who wore miniskirts and another wore tight bike clothes," added Misty.

I looked at Jean, Yuki and myself then said, "It wasn't my idea."

"At least it's better than the vinyl bodysuit you usually wear," teased Yuki.

"Misty, I think it's really broken this time!" shouted Ash from the back room.

The way Misty rolled her eyes and sighed meant something else. "Maybe you should call an IT specialist," offered Yuki.

"I could call Psyduck for all the help Ash is," groaned Misty.

"PSy?" asked the yellow Pokemon as it peeked its head into the room.

My new Golduck noticed and waved.

"If there is a benefit to the pool being stuck in the air, it's that Psyduck won't trip and fall in."

"Fall?" asked Jean.

"He can't swim. He can only use confusion when he gets a headache. Other than that what's not to love?"

Psyduck walked in and 'hid' behind Misty. I tried to squat down to the Pokemon's level, but the tight shorts hindered movement. After I teleported them off of me, and onto Yuki's head, I squatted down to Psyduck's level. "Hello Psyduck," I said as soothingly as I could. "I just want to learn more about you." What I found inside his head was nothing. "Your Pokemon is suffering from chronic recursive amnesia. He uses amnesia to forget about his headache then forgets that he did it. To make matters worse, his headaches are caused by the amnesia."

"Haven't seen that in a Psyduck before," offered Yuki. "Mostly a Slowpoke problem." Yuki squatted next to me and looked into Psyduck's eyes as she rapped him on the forehead. "Yup, c.r.a."

"Is there a cure?" asked Misty.

"Plenty of treatment options; how far are you willing to go?" I teased.

"What's that suppose to mean?" growled Misty.

"Sabrina, did you do it with a Slowpoke too?" whined Yuki.

"What's the point of trying to do it with a Pokemon that's oblivious?" I argued. "I did it with a Snorlax."

"Sabrina…," growled Yuki.

"Amazing…," mumbled Jean.

"Ash may not be a good liar, but you are," countered Misty.

"Is that a challenge?" I purred.

"Since the closest thing in this gym to a Snorlax is my husband, you'd have to do him to prove that you can. But what you don't realize is that Ash has a Snorlax and we could have it transferred over and watch you try and take it," replied Misty with cold fire in her eyes.

"Well played Misty," I replied.

"So what other options are there to cure c.r.a.?" asked Misty.

"Training and evolution are best," stated Yuki.

"But how can I train a Pokemon that won't follow instructions and forgets that he can use attacks?" replied Misty.

"You're the water Pokemon expert," I answered.

"I'm getting a headache," groaned Misty.

"It's almost worth it just to jerk him off a couple of times a day," I offered.

"I want a second opinion," Misty demanded of Yuki.

"I haven't read any articles that recommend sex as a therapy option," admitted Yuki. "The most common cure is to see a move deleter or use enough technical machines that the amnesia move is lost."

"I tried to use a technical machine on him before, but he quickly forgot the new move," recalled Misty as she rubbed her forehead.

"By its very nature amnesia is a defensive move. So the move protects itself. If you want Psyduck to reach his full potential, you have to be willing to go all out. He's like a drug addict or chronic alcoholic, he prefers the bliss that amnesia offers over the unknown," I explained. "Well thanks for letting us see the pool; I'll remember to not get the elevator. Golduck! Poli! It's time to leave." I recalled my new water Pokemon. Yuki did the same for her Starmie.

"You want your shorts?" asked Yuki.

"I'll swap you for the miniskirt," I offered.

"Deal."

When changed and set off. As we left I could sense that Misty was debating with herself about how to deal with Psyduck. We collected our bikes and headed back to Saffron City.

"Sensei, did you really treat a Snorlax with sex?" asked Jean. "Or did you just say that to trick Misty into doing it with her Psyduck?"

"Why does a person say, 'Not tonight, I have a headache,'?" I asked rhetorically.

"Because they have a headache," offered Yuki.

"No. It's because they are mad at their partner. I would have to have an outright migraine,"

"…or puking ramen…" interjected Yuki.

"To pass up a night of great sex," I finished.

"So if I say 'Not tonight, I have a headache,'?" asked Yuki.

"I'll either rush you to the emergency room, or assume that I can't trust you anymore since you won't tell me the truth."

"So if I'm mad at you?"

"Tell me."

"That's it?" asked Jean.

"Then what?" asked Yuki cautiously.

"We'll discuss it, resolve the problem and jump into bed," I replied.

"Can you imagine her at a board meeting? 'Fine, fine, I'll allow a cost of living increase of 3% and will reduce the premium for the health insurance. Now hurry up and take off your clothes, I've got another meeting in an hour'," joked Jean.

"So that's why they have those big sturdy tables," realized Yuki.

"Can't have a decent orgy on those folding ones."

"Can't have a decent orgy with just the three of us," Jean pointed out.

"We did okay at Reef Island," I reminded.

"'Best Use of Costume', it says that right on the trophy," added Yuki.

"We didn't win best picture," grumbled Jean.

"How are we supposed to compete against a couple that can break roof tiles and thick-skinned vegetables with their genitals?" asked Yuki.

"Or a Mr. Mime that can put out more white foam than an airport fire engine?" I added.

"I wonder if Delia's Mr. Mime is on the local fire brigade?" pondered Yuki.

"Eww," protested Jean.

"Brings a new meaning to 'pumper truck'," I offered.

"Extra eww. Stop it you two."

"Why? You think firemen are sexy," teased Yuki. "You even have a fireman calendar."

"The one where we oil up their muscles so they look sweaty and put on a little soot to make them look rugged?" I asked.

"That's the one…," replied Yuki. "What do you mean 'we'?"

"I helped with the oil," I coughed.

"I feel a headache coming on…" growled Yuki.

"I just helped with the oil. To be honest, they were the first humans I touched in half a year."

"But you have Saffron Tower," said Jean.

"Saffron Tower is like Psyduck and his amnesia: It's addictive and empty," I observed.

"Then why do you make jokes about it?" asked Yuki.

"Because the last few years have been a joke. I'm a powerful psychic, but I can't make people love me. I can dance through the minds of others, but I'm completely alone. I have the world's largest love hotel to remind me how shallow I am."

"What about us?" protested Yuki. "We're your friends. You are not alone!"

"Sabrina, are you trying to push us away, or are you testing us?" asked Jean.

"Pardon?"

"The three of us get closer, you even admit that you love Yuki, then you push us away," observed Jean. "I doubt that you have done anything so horrible that Yuki and I would no longer call you our friend. If you did, you grandmother would have punished you by now."

"Good point," added Yuki. "You haven't killed or raped anyone. You haven't even committed any major crimes, since public indecency is a misdemeanor."

"Blackmail?" I asked.

"Of who?"

"The mayor, well the last mayor," I offered.

"For what?"

"Special exemption from the anti-prostitution ordinances."

"In exchange for what?" asked Yuki flatly.

"No sex scandal and messy public divorce from his rich wife."

"I don't care about what's his face," replied Yuki.

"I voted for him," protested Jean.

"I mean, what did you offer the city in exchange for having semi-legal prostitution?"

"Medical screenings, no drug use, lower prices, no pimps and a reduction of city wide crime by eight percent."

"Lower prices?" asked Jean.

"Of course. Since I removed the overhead of the pimps, and controlled the love hotels, I could offer a lower price than the unregulated service workers. Because my workers had medical screenings, peer-reviews, training and advertising through the video booth network, the customer was assured a much higher quality and safer experience." I shuddered as I said, "I think I sound like my grandmother."

"Lady Lilith talks about prostitution?" asked Jean.

"No, she talked to me about integrated retail management."

"You do own the costume shops and the video booths," pointed out Jean.

"You got them coming and going," teased Yuki.

I had a little laugh over that.

"That's what I wanted to see: Sabrina laughing," smiled Yuki.

"Thanks you two."

"We're a coven," replied Jean. "Now let's find us some men to seduce!" she cackled.

We didn't find any men on the road to home. We did find a place at a lake to camp for the night.

"Is it going to be a full moon tonight so Jean can get her dancing naked quota for the month?" asked Yuki as the sun was getting low.

"My Poketch doesn't have that feature," I replied.

"What kind of witch are you, relying on a Poketch?" asked Jean as she prepared dinner.

"What kind of witch are you?" I asked. "You don't have a proper iron kettle. You have some superlight titanium pot."

"With a carbon-fiber handle," added Yuki.

Poliwag, who was swimming in the lake, walked up and asked, "Poli, Poliwag?"

"It's okay sweetie. This is how we joke and have a good time. Where you and Golduck play in the water, we play with words," I explained. "Now could you go and tell Starmie and Golduck that dinner is ready?"

"Pol!" cheered the little one as it raced back to the lake.

"Is that the real Sabrina?" asked Yuki.

"I've never been rejected, hated or betrayed by a Pokemon," I answered.

"No gloomy talk," ordered Jean.

"Yes, sensei," I replied.

We fed the Pokemon and ourselves. We realized that the moon wasn't coming up, so we laid our sleeping bags out under the stars.

"I never realized how many stars there are," I gushed.

"You spent too much time in the big city," explained Yuki who shared a double sleeping bag with me.

My Poketch beeped; there was a message from Mr. Geller which I read out loud, "Former Gym Leader Kiyo was last seen in Mossdeep City, Hoenn."

"That's your hometown," remembered Jean.

"Yeah," mumbled Yuki.

"You don't have to go back," I offered.

"You're going to find Kiyo on your own? Do you know where to look?"

"Someone will know and I can ask."

"He could be in the sea caves, on the reef or the islands. You need to know about ice climbing, spelunking and cave diving. You need me," explained Yuki.

"Don't you want to go back home?" asked Jean.

"It's complicated," replied Yuki.

"Because Yuki is an active and popular Pokemon Coordinator," I offered.

"Your brother?"

"Yeah," muttered Yuki.

"So after impersonating each other (for how many years?), you think that your parents are too dense to figure out what's going on?" asked Jean.

"Well…"

"Haven't you grown out of the phase where you think parents are stupid?"

"I've been surprised by how much my mother knows," I added. "Don't you go and 'Dawn' on me."

"No need to worry," Yuki half-joked.

"We're not asking you to ride into town naked and declare that you and your brother are living a lie," stated Jean.

"That could have been said with a little more tact," I chided.

"If your parents have figured it out, and you continue to not to tell them, what kind of message does that send?"

"I should have said that to Dawn," I noted.

"What does Dawn have to do with it?" asked Yuki with a hint of jealousy.

"Because I also got a message from Zoey: She and Dawn are fighting again."

"I wonder why," moaned Yuki.

"Probably Dawn's fault," speculated Jean.

"'Dawn luvs the bottl3 more than me,'" I quoted.

"Dawn's drinking again," interpreted Jean.

"There is also an attached file: Zoey's resume. Coordinator, breeder and ghost Pokemon trainer."

"She wants a job?" asked Yuki.

"Ouch, that is serious. Having a fight and breaking up is one thing, but to move across the country…" pondered Jean.

"Staff Meeting," I declared. "Item number one: Should Zoey be hired as a probationary teacher at the Saffron Gym? Questions and comments."

"We could use another ghost Pokemon trainer," observed Jean.

"You never asked our opinion before," observed Yuki.

"I never called a staff meeting while naked in a sleeping bag before either," I pointed out.

"She's got top coordinator credentials which can bring more students to the gym," I offered.

"What if she changes her mind, or Dawn apologizes," asked Yuki.

"Then screw Dawn," I retorted.

"Ha ha," replied Yuki coldly.

"If Dawn can't commit to a relationship, then there is no reason to drag Zoey into her personal hell." I made my best attempt at a Gengar laugh, "Gen, gen, gen."

"Now what?" asked Yuki.

"I'll send a hint to Conway that Dawn is available," I replied darkly.

"That's horrible. I can't believe that I'd share a sleeping bag with you," laughed Yuki.

"Who's Conway?" asked Jean.

"Dawn's number one fan and personal stalker," I answered.

"Details!" demanded Yuki.

"Zoey and Dawn got a gift card for a night in a love hotel. The card was given anonymously from Conway. Conway rented a room below the 'loving' couple, where he used his Slowking and Luxray to spy on them for his own personal 'gratification'."

"A Slowking shouldn't be able to get through the tower's shielding," observed Jean.

"Conway used some electronics to suppress the shielding, but that set off alarms which tipped me off. It also ticked me off, so I personally messed with Conway's head. My mistake was to get Zoey and Dawn involved. That's when I found that Dawn's mind is totally messed up and Zoey is in her own purgatory."

"What if Zoey wants a relationship with you?" asked Yuki.

"She does have that tongue stud," joked Jean.

"I wouldn't say 'no' to a three-way."

"Four-way," insisted Jean.

"Sabrina…," grumbled Yuki.

"For volleyball," I insisted.

"And ice cream runs," added Jean.

"So I'm out voted?" asked Yuki.

"No. This has to be a unanimous decision. We would all have to work with Zoey if she's hired, and I don't want to lose either of you if her presence is disruptive."

"If you go to Hoenn to find Kiyo, I'll need help at the gym," stated Jean.

"No pressure…" muttered Yuki.

"Do you want to 'sleep' on it?" I offered.

"We're going to need a big sturdy table for the four of us," joke Jean.

Author's Note: The kanabo is a heavy wood club studded with iron; A traditional of the Oni.

Author's Note: The monetary system in Pokemon is based upon the monetary system of Japan. A 10000 note is worth about $100.


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Lemon Warning: If you don't know what a lemon is or you know you're not supposed to read it, then don't. Really, if you're under 18, go read something else. Also contains mild swearing, and mild use of alcohol.

Legacy

Part Three

Morning: I reached out with all my senses and found only the gentle stirrings of two sleeping humans, and several sleeping Pokemon. There was a light dew about that added a sparkle to the early grey light.

"I think I could enjoy camping," I thought to myself.

Yuki, who was spooning me from behind in the sleeping bag, mentally replied, "Good." She snuggled a little closer and pondered, "What is everyone else doing?"

"Sleeping," I observed. "Gengar had them up most of the night as he told ghost stories."

"Poliwag?"

"She's fine. When humans tell ghost stories they are supposed to be scary. To ghosts like Gengar, ghost stories are comedies. Poliwag is dreaming of wearing a sheet and trying to scare Golduck and Kadabra."

Jean snored.

"How do you feel?" Yuki asked.

"I feel great. No weird dreams. No nausea."

"Funny smells?"

I breathed in deep and replied, "Since Kadabra is not in his Pokeball I don't have enhanced smell. But what I do smell smells wonderful."

"They only thing that would make it better is the smell of fresh coffee," added Yuki.

"Do you want to get up and make it?"

"You're telekinetic; you could make it from here."

I craned my neck to see the 'kitchen'. "I can't see the coffee."

Jean's fancy aluminum pot made a clangy-bonk sound.

"Oops," I thought. "I better not feel my way around."

"Well, don't feel around the kitchen…," Yuki purred. With a finger she stroked my temple and earlobe. "We could slip away."

"I'd prefer reality right now," I answered. My hand found Yuki's thigh.

"Would you now?" replied Yuki in a wicked tone. "Make sure you don't wake the others…"

Yuki threw open the sleeping bag, dragged me to my feet and raced me into the freezing lake. My mind wanted to explode! So I projected every freezing, shivering sensation I had away from our camp. An Ursaring on the other shore sneezed.

Yuki was floating on her back. "See why I want you to learn how to swim?" she asked.

I tried to keep what little warmth I had in my breasts by shielding them with my arms. "So I can wake up to hypothermia?"

"Wimp. This isn't a glacial lake and it had all summer to warm up. Just because it's not a hot tub doesn't mean you'll freeze to death. Now about those swim lessons…"

"Now?" I mentally chattered.

"Better now than when you're lost in the reefs of Mossdeep." Yuki stood up behind me and said, "Let's start with floating on your back. These floatation devices will help with that," as she poked my breasts.

"They're real," I replied.

"Hush. Now arms at your side; I'll hold on to head so you don't sink. Just get used to floating. That's it. Some water will slosh into your ear. Just think of it as the sea lapping against the side of a boat."

I floated in so many ways as Yuki cradled my head and back.

"Nice isn't it?"

I nodded.

"Remember: you can walk on water or teleport to safety. There is no danger here. Just relax and feel what it's like to be a Golduck."

Yuki carefully removed her hands. My head sank a little, but not enough to be bothersome. "Lift your head a little. See: if your head comes up, the rest will sink a little. Now gently swish your feet like a Poliwag tail… and there you go."

"How do you know what a Poliwag feels?" I mentally asked.

"I don't, and neither do you," replied Yuki. "Just use your imagination and remember that little Poliwag isn't afraid of the water."

"She doesn't have to be, she's a water Pokemon."

"And neither do you, since you're Sabrina."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that you could drain the lake with a thought and walk on the muddy bottom."

"There's a lot of water," I replied.

There was a quiet splash as Yuki floated along side.

"I guess there are three sides to your personality: Yuki, Yuri and the swimmer."

"Why do you say that?"

"Yuri blushes. Yuki is shy, even when wearing a mask. But the swimmer just throws off her clothes and jumps into a body of water. I'm amazed that you restrained yourself at Misty's Gym."

"That was business, this is pleasure."

"How is this going to help me find Kiyo?"

"Work, work, work," whined Yuki. "As I said, we may have to explore the reefs, the islands and the sea caves. Not only do you need to know how to swim, but you need to know about diving. So you need to practice. So, time to work on the backstroke."

"Isn't that what you did in the sleeping bag?" I teased.

"Hush. You're the student now. Now follow what I do."

Yuki used her arms in slow and deliberate stokes to pull her along. I mimicked her movements and sensations, until we reached the other shore. I stood up and looked around. "Wow. I swam that far on my first try."

"Good job. Now I hope you're up for the return trip," replied Yuki nervously.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

I was answered by an Ursaring's growl.

Personal notes on Ursaring: their thoughts are focused on fighting, eating and a very distant third is mating. Since they are not native to the Kanto region, I had to assume that this one was a captured Pokemon. So with Yuki's presence, possibly Poliwag's and the Ursaring's trainer, seducing it was not an option.

"We should get away," suggested Yuki.

"Why? He's just a cute little Teddiursa. Isn't he?" I cooed as I plunged myself into his mind. I tried to find any of his cute little Pokemon memories; this was difficult.

Yuki realized where my mind went, and followed me into Ursaring's memories. "It's awful in here," she remarked. The said memories were dominated by a strict, short-tempered trainer and his almost brutal methods. "He's a captured Pokemon; it would be wrong to mess with his training."

"I suppose. It would be cruel to remind him of everything that he lost," I thought. "But I will leave him with a parting gift. Help me fill in the details on this one."

I found a tattered memory of Tediursa licking honey off his paws as he sat in a field of flowers. Yuki supplied vivid memories of the colors, scent and movement of the flowers: The field became a shimmering ocean of perfume.

"Tedi?" pondered the little bear as his eyes sparkled like the flowers.

Yuki and I entered Tedi's dream and gushed at his super-cuteness.

"You're just adorable!" I squealed.

"You are just sweeter than that honey," bubbled Yuki.

I tickled his ears. He replied by wiggling them as he used his Charm. We laughed and played in the dreamland of flowers, until I planted a suggestion that he nap. Yuki and I left. Ursaring was sleeping on the lakefront with a big dopey smile.

There was a rustle in the trees overhead, and another in the brush away from the lake. The rustle in the brush had human thoughts, that of finding Ursaring. The disturbance overhead had its thoughts shielded as Dark Pokemon always do.

"Poli?" asked my new Pokemon from the lake.

"Is it breakfast time?" I asked.

"Poli," she nodded.

I took Yuki by the hand and waded out to Poliwag then teleported the three of us back to camp.

Jean handed us towels.

"There he is," remarked Yuki with thoughts so cold that Jean's Jynx shivered.

"Who?" asked Jean.

"Ursaring's trainer. How can a person do that to a Pokemon?"

"Warrior mentality: To survive the harshness of battle, you must undergo training that is just as harsh," I answered.

"I bet he hasn't experienced that level of harsh treatment," fumed Yuki as she dressed.

"Probably; in which case it becomes a less effective training system since the Pokemon can sense the double standard."

"Did you detect any warmth or praise from the trainer?"

I just shook my head then sipped the offered cup of coffee.

Jean was watching the trainer with a pair of binoculars and said, "Paul: a trainer from Sinnoh; modest success at various tournaments. I don't know if he came by the gym for a badge. He's looking at us."

"Should I flash him?" I asked.

"No. But I'll flash him this," replied Yuki as she gave Paul the finger.

"I don't think he saw you," speculated Jean. "I think that he's looking for a way around the lake. Maybe he wants to meet us."

"He'll regret it if he does," warned Yuki.

"Yuki, stop this now," I ordered. "If you have proof of cruel and abusive behavior then you have every right to bring this to the attention of the Pokemon League. But the word of a psychic isn't enough for them to censor Paul as a trainer. If he comes to the gym, I am obligated to offer him a gym battle.

"Before you let your thoughts ruin the morning, research everything you can on this trainer. I want to know how to beat him badly if he does want a battle," I suggested.

"Zoey is from Sinnoh, maybe she has some ideas," speculated Jean. "Speaking of which, we still have on the table the question: Shall we hire Zoey as a probationary instructor?"

"She couldn't be worse than him," grumped Yuki.

"Yuki…" Jean and I both muttered

"Hire Zoey."

"Great!" cheered Jean. "I hope Zoey is in town tomorrow, because I booked the school for a fieldtrip to Mega-Mini-Golf Palace. She could join us for a meet and greet."

"Why the whole school?" I asked.

"Because: One, we've been closing school at random and leaving the students out as we enjoyed ourselves. Two, mini-golf is more fun than archery, yet will involve the same skills. (You said so yourself.) Three, Zoey is going to need a fun distraction from what's-her-name. Shall I go on?"

"Will this place allow Pokemon?" I asked.

"Yes, but we pay for each player, human or Pokemon."

"Group rates? Educational discounts?"

"Already worked out…"

"Then we need to get back to town," I replied.

"Let's pack up before Mr. Happy gets here," growled Yuki as she packed her bag.

We packed so quickly that I had to finish my breakfast while pedaling my trail-bike.

I let the other two go before me to find the rough spots in the trail as I slurped at my rice porridge. Espeon also kept her mind's eye open for trouble as she sat in her basket on my handlebars. "Yuki, did you know that you smell different when you're mad?" I asked.

"Is it a bad smell?" she asked back.

"I wouldn't want to put it in a bottle and try to sell it." I replied.

"Maybe it's Jean's cooking," teased Yuki. "There is one thing you two didn't think through: Is Zoey practiced in keeping her mind closed to curious students?"

"Are any of your students that strong?" I asked.

"One or two," replied Yuki.

"But if a student asks about Dawn and Zoey's mind races through the past eight years, what would the student see?" asked Jean.

"Students will usually test a new teacher or a substitute," mused Yuki.

"Except my grandmother," I reminded the other two. "I'll give Zoey some coaching about watching her thoughts and assign Alakazam to help her out."

Alakazam was my first Pokemon and we were mentally linked for years. Having her help Zoey should be almost as effective as me hovering behind the students to keep them in line.

I sent a message to Zoey via my Poketch, "You're hired. Can you start tomorrow?"

She soon replied, "I can start in an hour. Just got off the overnight train."

"She's at the train station," I announced to the coven.

"We're still fifty miles from the city," stated Yuki.

I sent to Zoey, "Fifty miles out, riding on bikes."

"I'll store my bags in a locker and play tourist," replied Zoey.

"See the city from Saffron Tower. Observation level opens in under 2 hours."

"OK"

I gave my bowl to Espeon to lick clean. "Since you two forgot the brooms, I'm going to teach you how to fly on a bike," I announced.

"I don't want to get covered in mud," whined Jean.

"We've got two hours to get back to Saffron Tower," I said as I passed Yuki and Jean.

"Why?" asked Yuki.

"Because you and your Pokemon need the exercise," I replied. "Now if you can't keep up, then call out a Pokemon and get a push."

Jean released her Kirlia. Kirlia sat on the seat and used her Confusion to accelerate the bike. Yuki released her Solrock and it levitated behind her and pushed with Psychic. Solrock pushed so well that Yuki passed me on the road.

I took the 'cleaned' bowl from Espeon and stuffed it into my bag. "Looks like we have a race developing here," I growled. I pushed myself faster with telekinesis. Espeon kept her Future Sight open and watched the road ahead.

Kirlia grew tired, so Jean switched to her Butterfree. The flying bug used her Tailwind, but it pushed us all faster, so Butterfree used Confusion to propel Jean alone. Yuki switched her Solrock and Lunatone every ten minutes.

"Isn't it great how a little competition brings out the best effort?" I cheered.

Jean was using her own telekinesis to push the air away from her. I looked back at her with my second sight and saw a cone of psychic energy in front of her bike. Jean was ready for a long race and not just a sprint. To Yuki's credit, her Pokemon did give their best effort for forty minutes, but grew tired and fell behind Jean.

"Yuki, send your Claydol ahead of you to push the air out of the way," I shouted.

"What?"

"Jean is drafting her own telekinesis," I explained.

Yuki released her Claydol. After a few minutes experimenting, Yuki's speed increased but her effort lessened.

The fifty miles back to the city took a little over an hour to cover. Espeon and I took the lead when we reached the city. Espeon's Future Sight found us the best route around traffic and we always got the green lights. A few minutes after well pulled into the parking garage under Saffron Tower, Zoey sent a message, "Who won?"

I replied, "?"

"Your road race was watched by the traffic helicopters," replied Zoey and I relayed it to Yuki and Jean as they were panting in the elevator.

"We were on the news?" asked Jean.

Yuki laughed in between gasps for air.

We dragged each other out of the elevator, into my apartment and to the bath while leaving a trail of clothes from my front door to the bathroom. Once clean, Yuki and Jean shuffled outside to the hot tub. I put on sweats and staggered back to the service elevator and snuck onto the observation deck. I found a bench and sat down.

Zoey nudged me awake.

I blinked and said, "Sorry about that."

"Where are Yuki and Jean?"

"In the hot tub. Follow me," I replied as I staggered back to the service elevator.

"You've got a penthouse apartment on top of the tallest building in Saffron City?" asked Zoey.

"Where else do you put a penthouse?" I joked.

Thankfully someone, probably Gardevoir, had picked up all the discarded clothes, so when I let Zoey in the placed looked as it always did. "Have you had breakfast yet?" I asked as I pulled off my clothes.

"Yes, but thank you."

"Kitchen's over there, bathroom is over there and hot tub is out here. Make yourself comfortable." I found Yuki dozing off in the tub, while Jean relaxed with a silly grin on her face.

"Work smarter, not harder," quipped Jean. "Hi Zoey. Come in."

"Hi Jean." Zoey reluctantly undressed as she asked, "How does a gym leader afford a place like this?"

Jean giggled.

"I own the building."

"What? How?" asked Zoey. In her surprise she dropped the clothes she was covering herself with.

"I have other hobbies that became a lucrative business," I replied as I snuggled next to Yuki to prevent her from drowning as she slept. "Now that you're here, we can start the department meeting."

"Now?" asked Zoey.

"It's a tradition that goes back to…last night: we conduct all department meetings while naked," joked Jean.

Zoey made herself comfortable in the tub and shrugged.

I continued, "It was decided, unanimously, that you will be hired as a probationary instructor at the gym. Currently Jean teaches classes in telekinesis while Yuki teaches telepathy. Their students are mostly psychics. Together they also teach about Pokemon, mostly about psychic types. Jean has a Misdrevius, Kirlia, Jynx, Butterfree and Chimecho. Yuki has a Starmie, Claydol, Solrock and Lunatone. I have four Ghost Pokemon. At the gym there are Gastly and Haunter, and around the penthouse are Gengar and Rotom."

"I have a Mismagius," stated Zoey.

"You also have top coordinator experience, we three don't. We hope that your presence will attract aspiring coordinators to the gym as well as improving the status of Ghost Pokemon training. Several students have gone back home for vacation. Jean has scheduled us for a field trip to a mini-golf park for tomorrow, but I'd like you to start…," I checked my Poketch, "after lunch. Meet some of the students, see their Pokemon and let you come up with ideas."

"Okay."

"Please note that the students can be curious and will ask questions, if not outright pry."

"Yeah…"

"Unlike other children, these are psychics. What you think can be just as clear as what you say."

"So what do I think about?"

"Your job. Teaching is much like training Pokemon. If you're distracted, they'll be distracted. You've got the skills, so you should do fine. I'll assign my Alakazam to help you with the students. The students know that to cross Alakazam is the same as crossing me."

"Thanks."

"Any questions?"

"I think I'll need to see what I have to work with before I can make plans."

"The pay is decent,"

Jean coughed loudly.

"…and may go up if we can get more students," I added.

"Yeah!" cheered Jean.

"Living expenses?" asked Zoey.

"Enough for a crappy apartment in a good neighborhood, an okay apartment in a crappy neighborhood," explained Jean, "Or half of an okay apartment in a good neighborhood. Yuki and I share the rent on an apartment. Sensei, why not have Yuki move in with you then Zoey could share the apartment with me?"

"I just moved you two out of my apartment," I reminded her.

"Afraid of commitment?" teased Jean.

Yuki snored.

"I'll discuss it with her later. Which reminds me: At the gym Yuki changes her appearance and identity to Yuri, a male. It is a long and complicated story."

Zoey replied, "Yuki and I talked about it when you passed out on the bed at Reef Island."

"Then you're as up to date as I can think of. Any other old business?" The others shook their heads, while Yuki snored. "New business? No? Then meeting adjourned."

"Is it orgy time or cocktails?" asked Jean.

"Neither," I replied. "Soak for an hour, get dressed, lunch then head for the gym."

"Taskmistress…"

"Hopefully Zoey's work ethic will rub off on you two," I joked.

"If you declare, 'no orgy', how is anything going rub off?" teased Jean.

"Didn't you people have enough at the island to last for a while?" joked Zoey.

"Two of the flight crew were married, the other one was gay," pouted Jean.

"You're a bad influence Sabrina," mumbled Yuki in her sleep.

"Did Yuki just learn Sleep Talk?" asked Zoey.

"I don't know, I usually fall asleep first," I replied.

"Pass out," corrected Yuki.

"Staff meetings in hot tubs and bicycle races on the news; I should have left that backwater Sinnoh a long time ago," mused Zoey.

"Come on, no gloomy talk," chided Jean.

"Yeah, it's way too early to go out for ice cream," I teased.

"You wouldn't…" wondered Zoey.

"To be honest, I went to a different convenience store and 'cased the joint'," giggled Jean.

"I think I know what we'll be doing tonight." I turned to Zoey and growled, "Well, are youz in? Or are youz out?"

"I'm in," grinned Zoey.

"Oh I just remembered some new business: What can you tell us about a Pokemon trainer named Paul?" asked Jean.

"Ash Ketchem's rival from Sinnoh?" asked Zoey.

"Has a Honchkrow and an Ursaring, purple hair and bad attitude," I listed.

"That's him," replied Zoey. "He's like the move Explosion, all attack with no regard for his Pokemon or allies; unlike some people who I can describe as Selfdestruct."

"Zoey…," I growled.

"Sorry. Maybe I'm just nervous about the new job."

"Then tell us about Paul instead of worrying about things," prompted Jean.

"I suppose Paul wants to have the strongest Pokemon possible and he doesn't care what it takes. He'd knock down a flock of Starly, capture the strongest and leave the rest to suffer. If a Pokemon doesn't measure up to his standards, he releases it or gives it away. He has seemingly no attachments to any of them, except his Torterra. He thought he could train Chimchar how to use Blaze at will; as a result Chimchar would be trained and battled to exhaustion on the chance that Blaze would work."

"Kick him in the balls, if he has any," mumbled Yuki.

"I think there is a perfect move to use on him, if I had the right Pokemon," I mused, "Pain Split."

"My Mismagius knows that," replied Zoey.

"So does my Misdreavus," added Jean.

"Maybe we could teach it to Haunter or Gengar if he had time in his busy schedule."

"How about Rotom?" asked Jean.

"That may better than the other two."

"Is there anyone else who'll be joining us for meetings?" asked Zoey.

"I suppose my grandmother, Lady Lilith, would count since she was the gym leader before my father, then me. She took over the gym while the three of us were at Reef Island."

"If you and Yuki go to Mossdeep, will you ask Lady Lilith to act as gym leader again?" asked Jean.

"That would be better than leaving things idle. I wonder if Paul would battle her for a badge?"

Yuki shook her head as she left her trance then said, "What would she do to Paul if she knew the type of trainer he was?"

"I think that she would turn him into a Pokemon and let him experience 'training'," I replied.

"You can do that with psychic powers?" asked Zoey.

"No. But grandma is an expert with Nightmare. Before she took over as gym leader, she was known as the 'Nightmare of Saffron'. She and her rival Agatha battled for the Indigo League Championship."

"Agatha, of the Kanto Elite Four?" asked Jean.

I nodded.

"Wow. Do they still keep in touch?"

"Sure. I've seen Agatha at my grandmother's house several times. They are still close friends. Sorry Zoey."

"I'm not going to let it bother me," chanted Zoey.

"That sometimes work," stated Yuki. "But by saying it, you admit that it could bother you."

"So what do I think about?"

"How to turn Paul's life into a living hell," fumed Yuki.

"Scary. Why are you two going to Mossdeep?"

"I want to find the former fighting dojo master and bring him back to Saffron. This city used to have two official gyms, but I did something rash."

"She chased them out of town after beating all of their Pokemon by herself," explained Jean.

"Thank you for reminding me," I mumbled.

"When I said that she beat them by herself, I meant that she used her own psychic powers and not her Pokemon's."

"I don't think Sabrina likes being reminded," observed Zoey.

"I suppose not. Few people remember it. I do since I was there. So was Ivan; who else? That's right, Master Kiyo and all of his students."

"What's your point?" I asked in defeat.

"You think that it hurts your pride to be reminded of what you did. Imagine his pride for losing. Now he has to come back because the mistress orders it. Sorry sensei, but this whole plan has been bugging me."

"Jean for a sex crazed psychic with a toy fetish, you really are a wise woman," I praised. "For the legacy of Samantha, I'll go to Master Kiyo and apologize and offer to help restore his gym. I'll accept his decision if he chooses not to."

"You're getting better at these interpersonal relations," praised Yuki as she poked me in the side.

"Did you redecorate?" asked Jean.

"No, grandma and Gengar did. I'm still trying to find all my stuff."

"It looks nice," praised Zoey.

"Garden of the Three Moons," I quoted.

"Three moons?" asked Zoey.

"Obviously one of them isn't out this early," I replied. "But I'll show you the other two."

I crawled out of the pool and beckoned the others to follow me to the upper garden. "Over there is Mt. Moon: the Kanto region's famous mountain."

"Like our Mount Coronet," added Zoey.

"So tonight we'll get to see the second moon, what about the third?" asked Jean.

"That's a little tricky," I replied. "First we have to back up. A little further. Can you guys see it now?"

"See what?" asked Zoey.

"The crescent that the river makes?" asked Yuki.

"No, you guys are standing up too straight. Spread your legs a bit, that's good."

"I still can't see anything that looks like a moon," remarked Yuki.

"What? Are guys dense?" I chided. "Just bend over and look between your legs."

"I see Saffron City from underneath the hedge," replied Jean.

"And what are you doing?" I asked.

"We're mooning the city," concluded Zoey. "Ha, ha."

"Gengar came up with the name," I replied.

"Gen, gen, gen," chuckled the ghost as he floated up from the ground.

"Sensei, does this mean that the whole city can see me naked?" asked Jean.

"You bet your ass it does," answered Zoey.

With a shriek, Jean raced back to the pool and jumped in.

Zoey and Yuki were more reserved as they moved away from the gap in the hedge.

"Gengar knows that I like to walk the garden naked, so he put in that little joke. It was going to be the garden of the two moons, which was more romantic, but naughty boy here added the peep hole."

Gengar rattled off a brief lecture, which I translated to the others, "The two moons are still central to the garden, but as with the Yuki, Jean and I, the third element adds a bit of fun."

"So Gengar isn't just a perverted practical joker," replied Yuki.

"Yes, he can be thoughtful and creative," I concluded. Gengar smiled and nodded. "It must be Gardevoir's influence."

"Gen gar?"

"I'm kidding." I gave him a quick smooch on the head. "We're up high enough that you'd need a helicopter or a telephoto lens to see us,…" There was a momentary feeling of being outside myself. "Gengar, loan me your garden hat. Rotom! Bring the laser!"

"What's going on?" asked Zoey.

Gengar handed me his floppy garden hat. I laid down on the moss covered ground as I covered my face. "I'm just doing some house cleaning."

Rotom sped up the stairs as he possessed a large laser pointer. I pretended to stimulate myself with the pointer as I flashed the beam across several skyscrapers.

"O tom?"

"Yes I sense it too. Do you recognize the model?"

"Rotom," acknowledged the Pokemon.

"Then just do a memory clear. We'll keep an eye on that location and see if it warrants further investigation." The laser pointer lost its bulk and reddish color as Rotom left along the beam of light. A second later, the pointer was possessed by Rotom again. "Excellent work sweetie," I praised my Pokemon and gave the pointer a light kiss.

"R-r-r-rotom?"

"I'm sorry, but we don't have time to play. We have to go to the gym and tend to the students. But I'd love for you to come along and learn a new move. So find your Pokeball and put it on the coffee table."

"Tom!" cheered the plasma Pokemon as he hopped off.

"Uh…?" gaped both Yuki and Zoey.

"Sorry about that. Someone was watching me: Stalker, paparazzi, corporate spy, or dirty old man with a camera. So I sent Rotom to erase his camera memory."

"This happens how often?" asked Yuki.

"Once or twice a month. If you moon the city at night you should be safe from prying eyes. Since most of us are out of the pool, let's get dressed and grab a quick bite as we go to work."

So we toweled off, got dressed and ate bowls of rice with whatever I had left in the fridge. I had Zoey sit on my bicycle seat as I stood and pedaled.

Mr. Geller greeted us at the front door to the gym. "After you get your driver's license, make sure to buy a van."

"Yes, Milady."

"Ivan Geller is our most senior student. He's been here as long as Jean. Mr. Geller, this is Zoey a top coordinator from Sinnoh and a new instructor."

"Good afternoon," he bowed.

Mr. Geller had the other students assembled in the main room.

"Welcome back Sabrina sensei," they chorused. "Welcome back Jean sensei. Welcome back Yuri sensei."

"Everyone, this is Zoey. She is a top coordinator from Sinnoh and a ghost Pokemon trainer," I announced. "If any of you have considered being a Pokemon coordinator, or would like additional help training your ghost Pokemon, I hope that you will seek out Zoey's expertise."

"Welcome to the Saffron Gym, Zoey sensei," chorused the students."

"To assist in getting to know each other, Jean has scheduled us for tomorrow morning at the Mega-mini-golf Palace. You are free to bring your Pokemon, in fact Jean would encourage it. If you wish to bring guests, please see Jean sensei for details."

"Alakazam," I thought. "Zoey is our new teacher, but she has no psychic abilities. Would you provide her some protection from the prying little minds?"

"Zam," agreed my oldest Pokemon.

The students displayed a mix of curiosity and shyness.

The only reaction I didn't expect was a sense of betrayal by Hugh. "Sabrina sensei, why did you hire Zoey?" asked Hugh.

"Zoey is my friend and she has valuable experience with ghosts and contests," I replied.

"But she's," he finished his sentence in his mind, "normal."

"Normal?" I repeated out loud for Zoey's sake. "Zoey has won the Sinnoh Pokemon Contest Grand Festival; that makes her as statistically rare as a psychic amongst the general population. At present she is the only non-psychic in this building which makes her unique. Would you like to rephrase your question about her being normal?"

"She's not psychic…"

"You are correct."

"How, how?" Even Hugh's mind can't form his question.

"Hugh, am I a psychic like you?"

"Yes Sabrina sensei."

"I can't answer the question you have, unless you can ask it. Even though I can read your mind, you have to form the question before you can get help with the answer."

"Huh?"

"Do you know why Zoey makes you uncomfortable?" I asked.

"No. Yes. Her mind is…is loud. It's like at home."

"She doesn't know how to shield herself. But she is nothing like your sister; Zoey cares." I replied calmly.

"She's angry!"

"She's not angry at you Hugh. She has someone like your sister and that someone made Zoey angry and sad."

"Why?"

"Because that someone didn't understand how wonderful Zoey is."

"Zoey is like me?" As Hugh pondered that thought his eyes got misty.

"Yes Hugh; both of you are wonderful people and I'll do whatever I can to make you safe here."

"Ugh…," moaned Hugh.

"Hugh, if you apologize to Zoey sensei, I think you would feel better."

"I'm sorry Zoey sensei. I don't want you to be sad."

"Thank you Hugh," replied Zoey, "I don't want you to be sad either."

For the first time, Hugh gave a big dopey smile.

"Now for Zoey to do a good job as a teacher, she needs to know more about the gym and the Pokemon. Could you show her the gym and your Pokemon?" I asked.

Hugh nodded and led Zoey by the hand. My Alakazam floated after them, at a discrete distance.

"Did Hugh take her by the hand?" asked Yuki telepathically.

"Don't spoil the moment," I replied.

The background chatter on the other students' minds were similar to Yuki's.

After her guided tour, Zoey returned to the main room where her Mismagius and Jean's Misdreavus demonstrated Pain Split. I released Rotom and linked its mind to the other ghosts.

The students were impressed by the physical beauty and poise of Mismagius. Some seriously considered a career as a coordinator. The session was very positive for Jean, Zoey, the students and all the Pokemon, except Rotom which still didn't understand the concept of Pain Split.

Hugh never left Zoey's side for the rest of the afternoon and was reluctant to leave for his Aunt's home. So Zoey and I walked him to his house, where his aunt was waiting at the gate. "Sorry that we were late getting Hugh home Mrs. Howard. But Hugh had such a good time, he just didn't want to leave," I explained.

"Well if Hugh had a good time, then that's all the reason I need," she beamed.

"Tomorrow we're going golfing!" he announced.

"That sounds exciting," replied Mrs. Howard.

"So you better eat a healthy dinner and get a lot of rest," instructed Zoey.

"I will. Bye, Zoey sensei. Bye Sabrina sensei."

I teleported Zoey and myself back to the gym. Yuki and Jean had finished locking up for the night, so we collected our three bicycles and rode to dinner. Zoey sat on my seat as I stood to pedal.

"I think I've been adopted as his older sister," mused Zoey.

Jean shed a little tear of joy. Jean almost choked as she offered, "Sensei, let me pay for her dinner."

"I'll buy her a drink," offered Yuki.

"I'll buy her a bike," I added.

Zoey didn't bother to ask why until we entered Yoshida's department store.

The other two let me explain, "Hugh is a special case. He was born with a strong psychic ability to a family with no history of psychics. As you know he has an older sister. Like many siblings, there was the usual resentment that the older feels to the newcomer. But Hugh's sister hates her brother."

"Hate is rather a strong word," replied Zoey.

"What would be the best way to torment a little brother that can read your thoughts? Hugh's parents at first didn't believe that his sister could actually hate, but over time she was so used to her own negative thoughts, she couldn't feel anything else. In his own defense, Hugh tried to block out her thoughts; but being a young, untrained, desperate psychic he pushed himself into a coma."

"What?"

"He was taken to doctors, but they couldn't determine what was wrong. His parents tried the psychic gym leaders of Mossdeep, but they couldn't get through. Liza and Tate were so perplexed that they called me. I used Natu's Miracle Eye to break through any barriers possibly created by a dark Pokemon. I found that Hugh's mind was trying to destroy its own psychic ability."

"Psychic suicide," shivered Yuki.

"I worked for days trying to find some reason for Hugh to wake up. I had to lie to him. I had to lie to convince him that his sister didn't hate him. After three days of work he exited the coma, which was one of several miracles in that boy's life."

"The second miracle was that you didn't do anything to his sister," shuddered Yuki.

"I noticed that you don't mention his sister's name," observed Zoey.

"I never will."

"I also noticed that he is the only student with a Dark type."

"Sabrina sensei doesn't like Dark types," pointed out Jean.

"But for Hugh I made two exceptions: His Sableye and Hugh himself."

"I'm just trying to understand humans that are psychics, and now you tell me that humans can be dark types?"

"When we first used Miracle Eye on Hugh, I thought that there was a dark Pokemon blocking other psychics from helping. But it was Hugh's mind that was trying to block me. His mind was trying to block all thoughts, even his own. I was desperate to stop his mind from destroying itself. Somehow I convinced him to concentrate his defenses against the outside. This bought me some time. I assumed that Sableye, being both dark and ghost, would be the most compatible Pokemon for Hugh and me. So I caught a Sableye under Sootopolis City, and used his mind as a pattern to restructure Hugh. That it has worked for the last five years is the second miracle."

"Five years, which means that Hugh was three when all this happened," concluded Zoey.

We were sitting at the noodle bar. I was the only one in the group that didn't have a bowl of soup; Sonny, the chef, was avoiding me.

"If a babysitter shakes a child till it has brain damage, the babysitter goes to jail. If a sister hates her brother so much that he tries to kill himself…,"

"Sabrina, a person doesn't have to be psychic to know they're hated," explained Sonny who studied at the gym when I first brought Hugh with me.

"Hey, no gloomy thoughts over there," scolded Jean. "We're here to celebrate another miracle!"

"What miracle?" asked Sonny.

"Hugh made friends with Zoey here and even took her hand to show her around the gym," explained Yuki.

"You're kidding me," replied Sonny.

Yuki and Jean both shook their heads.

"Mr. Mime, did you hear that? Little Hugh touched another person and made friends."

"Mime!" cheered the Pokemon.

"And tomorrow he's going to play miniature golf," added Zoey.

"I would love to see that," replied Sonny.

"Mega-Mini-Golf Palace, tee time is 9 am," beamed Jean.

"Well Sabrina sensei, this is truly a time to be happy and celebrate. If you're not happy soon, I may ask you to leave," boasted Sonny.

"You're right, it is time to celebrate! Sonny, drinks are on me!" I declared.

"But I was going to buy Zoey a drink," protested Yuki.

"I'm buying a drink for everyone else in the bar!" I announced.

After the wait staff hurried about and filled all the new orders for beer, sake or soda, I stood to make a toast, "To Zoey, the newest teacher at the Saffron Gym, today you have performed a miracle: You made a little boy smile for the first time."

"Kanpai!" went the restaurant patrons. We psychics had trouble holding back the tears.

After we finished dinner, Sonny refused to give us the bill and insisted that it was on the house. So we proceeded downstairs to sporting goods.

"You don't have to buy me a bike," insisted Zoey. "This is all too much. I didn't do anything."

"Nonsense," replied Jean. "You overcame your own pain and set an example for Hugh. You reached the boy that no one else could. Even Sonny and his Mr. Mime tried to 'adopt' Hugh as a little brother, but they couldn't get through."

"After Hugh led you away, I called his aunt. She was so happy she cried. When I called again and told her that Hugh didn't want to leave because was having a good time, she cried again," I explained.

"Mrs. Howard moved to Saffron City so Hugh would have a place to stay. She put her career on hold so she could work from home and give the boy every possible chance to have a happy home life," recalled Jean.

Zoey finally was convinced to pick out a bicycle, which I paid for. Then I bought two bottles of champagne as we headed back to the other bicycles, the train station to get Zoey's luggage and then Saffron Tower. We opened the bottle of champagne and let out our Pokemon so they could mingle in the garden. I think Gengar tried to hit on Zoey's Mismagius, but Gardevoir was quick to correct that.

I was in the upper garden watching the sunset and pondering the past, when Zoey offered me a glass of Champagne. "I was sent to work another miracle," she joked.

"Huh?"

"Jean and Yuki told me that you blamed yourself for Hugh's condition."

"Yeah; for the last five years I had never seen Hugh willingly touch another human. He only smiled around his Pokemon and even that was rare. He would go days, sometimes weeks, without speaking. He became a Dark/Ghost: we couldn't reach him psychically or physically."

"You performed a miracle bigger than mine: you saved his life," insisted Zoey.

"I kept him alive," I corrected.

"Same thing," insisted Zoey as she chimed her glass against mine. "Will you ever forgive his sister?"

"It's not my forgiveness that she needs…,"

"I'm not talking about her needs; I'm talking about your needs."

"It's that obvious?" I asked.

"Maybe I am psychic," teased Zoey.

"Hugh was young so he didn't know what hate was. But I knew and that hatred got to me. I hated his sister. I hated humans. I hated everyone that ever looked at me funny because I was different. I demoted humans to the level of cattle: they were to be used and consumed. My grandmother realized what was happening to me and made me turn my rage into something constructive. So with the help of Yuki and Jean, we developed an artificial psychic shield to insulate Hugh from the 'loud thoughts'. The technology had many other uses and thus financed this building."

"You pay his living expenses too," speculated Zoey. "That was a nice house in a quiet neighborhood: far too expensive for a stay at home mom/aunt."

"Never mention it again," I ordered, "especially around Hugh."

"It's that bad is it?"

"No comment," I replied and washed down my disgust with the champagne.

Zoey walked to the railing and breathed in the cooling breeze. "The parents divorced since one blamed the other for the Hugh's condition. Child support is tied up in a long court battle. One parent refuses to acknowledge the child's existence. The other is so racked with guilt that they drink constantly."

I was sorely tempted to rip open Zoey's mind and learn how she knew. Instead, I narrowed my eyes at her and said, "How do you know all that?"

"Hugh is a very good psychic, just like you. He asked, 'Zoey is like me?' and you said, 'yes'." Tears started to form in Zoey's eyes. "Sabrina, I need you to be honest with me. Did you know about my parents when you hired me?"

"No. You asked for a job, and I gave it to you," I replied.

"Pity?"

"Only for what Dawn did to you. I knew of nothing else."

"I want the truth. If you're holding something back…"

Zoey's mind flashed a strong image of her jumping off the tower.

"Zoey, will you come with me?" I asked as I gave her my hand.

Zoey took it. I led her back down to the lower garden and through the apartment.

"Sabrina?" asked Yuki telepathically.

"Zoey deserves to know the whole truth. I'll explain later," I mentally replied.

I led Zoey to the service elevator and pushed the button for floor 24. When the door opened Zoey felt déjà vu. We walked down the hall and I opened the door to a large jungle themed room.

"This is…" stammered Zoey.

"This is the jungle themed room that you shared with Dawn a few months ago," I explained.

"But the entrance was at the train station."

"Warp tiles: All love hotels in Saffron City are just warp tile access points linked to this building. The train station, the university district, and the old soapland district, are all linked to here."

"Why?"

"Because humans were cattle to me," I replied. "I brought them here so I could milk them for their sexual energy. I was betrayed by someone I thought was my lover. I used the technology developed to help Hugh, to finance my own psychic harem."

"So you went through my mind for a psychic one night stand?"

"You want to know the whole truth?"

"Yes."

"No matter what?"

"I'm sick of lies. I'm sick of living a lie."

"You and Dawn were given a gift certificate for a night's stay in a love hotel. The truth is that Dawn was given the gift secretly by her long time stalker Conway."

"Conway…?"

"Let me finish before you do something you'll regret, again. Conway was obsessed with Dawn and spied on her at every opportunity. He probably realized that he had no chance of being with her, so he used you as a proxy. While you were making love to Dawn, he was in the room below watching you via his Pokemon. I got involved because his methods triggered alarms that alerted me. I personally went downstairs to 'punish' him."

"Punish?"

"Bondage, riding crops and head games," I replied.

"You were the mistress that he was screaming for?"

"And the security officer that met you at the elevator."

"Well you really have a talent for head games," joked Zoey. She saw the expression on my face and said, "There's more."

"I'm a hypocrite," I confessed. "I built this tower to spy on others while they had sex, yet I was angry at Conway for doing the same. I rationalized it since the psychic shielding prevented me from knowing who had sex; I only could sense the raw animal nature of it. I also convinced myself that everyone assumed I would do it anyway.

"When I mess with someone's head, I can get rather cruel. So I sent my mind up here and peeked in yours and Dawn's mind. You two wouldn't have known, but it gave me the images and sensations to really work over Conway."

"I remember he ran into the stairwell with something up his butt. Was that also part of working him over?"

"Yeah."

"Lighten up," replied Zoey.

"I can't, because I wiped your memory of what really happened. You and Dawn met Conway in the stairwell, and he ran back to his room and couldn't get in. I exited the elevator as a security officer and confronted him. Dawn went to protect him; you followed. I opened the room below and explained to you that Conway was spying on you. I inferred that he used his Slowking to influence you. Then it got very ugly. All of the pain that you felt because of Dawn just erupted. You took it out on Conway."

Zoey looked as if she was recalling a faded dream. "Did I?" she mumbled.

"You took the strap-on dildo and sodomized Conway. You were mad at Conway. You were mad at everyone."

"I was mad at Dawn," mumbled Zoey.

"I used my Pokemon to erase all of your memories back to the stairwell. I wanted you to get the chance to work things out with Dawn. I did what I could to plant a suggestion in Conway to never stalk her again."

"Reef Island, why did we meet there?"

"Yuki and I were pursuing a rouge psychic with an overwhelming libido. I wanted to stop her so she wouldn't cause trouble for the rest of us. When I learned who she was, I had to stop her for more noble reasons. Once that was taken care of, I stayed on the island with Yuki to work on our relationship. Jean showed up; we had fun."

"You bumped into us?" asked Zoey.

"Yes. We didn't consciously seek you two out. We kept our minds on each other, and just wanted to have a good time. We, I, wanted to be like everyone else."

"Any other details about the island that I should know?"

"Not without ruining the reputation of good people."

"The slow boat back to Maroon Island is that still luck?" asked a skeptical Zoey.

"…" I thought about what she said, and the odds of meeting her on the island. "I said that I didn't consciously seek you out. I may have been unconsciously seeking you out. Or rather, my actions were influenced because I was linked to your mind during the love hotel incident. I did threaten Dawn, that if she didn't acknowledge her love for you, that I would seduce you away from her."

"Why?"

"I felt responsible."

"No you didn't. You cleaned up Conway's mess. You reset my memory. You did your part."

"I felt guilty for hating humans and for using them. I wanted to make amends by helping someone."

Zoey looked at me. I looked down in shame. "Since you are so keen on doing penance, I think I know the perfect punishment," stated Zoey before she hugged me. "I forgive you. After all what you did was _human_ nature."

"That's harsh," I whined.

"And if you ever mess with my love life again, I'll do you up the ass," growled Zoey.

"Promise?"

"Are you going to explain that to Yuki?"

"We were discussing the possibility of a four-way…"

"I just got out of a weird relationship, give me some time," insisted Zoey.

I looked at my Poketch and said, "Will an hour do?"

"You've had too much champagne," replied Zoey. "Now let's go back upstairs before Yuki gets jealous."

When we returned to the apartment, Yuki looked at me with questioning eyes.

"I told her all the details of Conway's personal peepshow," I replied.

"Mad?" asked Yuki.

"That someone was looking out for me and my mental health? No," replied Zoey calmly.

"Mad at Conway?" I asked.

"He got it in the end," chuckled Zoey.

"Mad at Dawn?" asked Jean.

"I haven't decided yet."

"Mad at yourself?" I asked.

"I was. But after what you told me about Hugh, I think I'm getting a second chance."

"Is it orgy time?" asked Jean.

"No," replied the rest of us.

"Phooey," pouted Jean.

"You just wanted to try out Champion on us," teased Yuki.

"I just thought that we could put the Pokemon to bed and have ourselves some adult entertainment."

"We've got two dozen children to look after tomorrow morning," I reminded them.

"I take it that it'll be more exhausting than psychic road races?" asked Zoey.

"It was Jean's idea," teased Yuki.

"Hey. This was also to be a meet and greet with Zoey," argued Jean.

"Don't look to me; I only do one miracle per year. By the way, why do you two team up on Jean?"

"She's not telepathic enough to know we're kidding," I replied.

"And since I'm the wise woman of the group, those two are always trying to take me down," boasted Jean.

"Wise woman?" asked Yuki.

"Sensei said it herself in the hot tub. I have Zoey as a witness."

"She also called you a…"

I replayed my words on my Poketch, "…a sex crazed psychic with a toy fetish."

"You record your conversations?" asked Zoey.

"My grandmother told me to keep a journal. Since I'm too busy to write things down, I got a Poketch feature that records my conversations and my thoughts. It's another spinoff of the technology we designed."

"I know someone who'd buy that," mused Zoey.

"It eats up electronic memory. I have it do a secured data transfer whenever it finds the signal strength." I looked at my Poketch. "It could be marketable. Not just personal journals. Maybe it could be used as a memory back up in case of trauma."

"Your journal records surface thoughts and verbal conversations. It can't record motor skills, that would take way more memory than the Poketch could handle," explained Yuki.

"Not as it is now," I replied. "But if the program mapped the memory network like an index, then it may help in memory reconstruction."

"Like those hard drive recovery programs?" asked Jean. "If the registry for the disk is damaged, a program rebuilds the computer files."

"Rebuilds?" asked Yuki.

"The computer files get fragmented to fill the hard drive space. If the registry is intact, there is no problem of locating all the pieces."

"So like the memory network, a memory is spread amongst several locations. The Poketch program becomes the registry for the mind," concluded Yuki.

"We'll have to consult with cognitive scientists at the University on this one," speculated Jean.

"Well I don't want them to have open access to my patents," I added. "I'll need to run this by the company lawyers and my in-house R&D."

"Where's Zoey?" asked Yuki.

"In the hot tub," I answered.

We went out to the garden. Zoey's clothes were in a neat pile by the pool. "I worked my miracle. Once you start on brain surgery you're over my head," she joked.

"Oops," I replied.

"Did you also record what you said to Dawn on the boat?"

I replayed, "You sure are one messed up, self absorbed, little bitch aren't you?"

"Sabrina!" scolded Yuki.

"Way to go!" cheered Jean as she undressed.

"You're encouraging her?" asked Yuki.

"I always knew it was Dawn's fault," replied Jean.

"Before we convict her, let's hear some more evidence," proposed Zoey. "You said you went through her mind…"

As I got into the pool, I recalled on my Poketch the moment I went into Dawn's mind and played static.

"That explains a lot," quipped Zoey.

I made myself comfortable and said, "Surface thoughts are easy to record, and thoughts processed in the speech center are easy to playback. Dawn's thoughts were visual: She was processing the image of Ash and Misty's wedding then placed herself and her mother in the role of Misty. She shifted the male role from Ash to Paul and some other males that I didn't recognize. When she shifted the male role to you, Zoey, the whole dream shattered."

"Why was her mom in it?" prompted Jean.

"Dawn idolizes her mother and uses her as the standard that she measures her own life. I look up to my grandmother and measure my success against hers."

"Lady Lilith would build a seventy story love hotel?" asked Jean.

"If there was a profit in it," I replied.

"So the reason that my relationship with Dawn failed, was that she couldn't imagine her mother and me doing it?"

"I'm afraid so."

"So if I want Dawn back, I have to do it with her mother and have her walk with me in a pride parade?"

"And we just lost our newest teacher," concluded Yuki.

"No thanks. Dawn is a mean drunk and I rather not go back to that. She actually imagined herself married to Paul?"

"Yuck," replied Jean.

"Does she like to be abused?" asked Yuki.

"I did a quick peek; I didn't have time, or permission, to do a deep scan."

"She's probably in rehab again," speculated Zoey. "Maybe you could offer your services to the staff."

"Jean said it best, 'Yuck'."

"Are we going for ice cream tonight?" asked Jean.

"We still have a big bottle of champagne to open," I countered.

"And we have to get up early tomorrow," reminded Yuki.

"You better plan your next heist better than the last one," joked Zoey.

"I think that I'd like to rest tonight on our laurels," I sighed.

"Rest as in sleep, or rest as in don't do anything risky?" asked Yuki.

"Risky or risqué?" asked Zoey.

"One in the same for Sabrina," commented Jean.

"No, it isn't," I corrected. "When I battled and captured Kadabra, I kept my clothes on the whole time."

"That's true," replied Jean.

"When I crashed my folding bike and landed in the river, I had my clothes on too."

"I was there," corroborated Yuki.

"From the time I raced the bikers around the tidal flats till I made it back here, I had on the sundress."

"Which became a muddress," added Jean.

"So what you are saying is that you put your life in greater risk when you have your clothes on then when they're off?" teased Zoey.

"I better call my insurance agent and tell him I'm going naked from now on, so they can lower my premiums," I joked.

"That could make for an interesting requirement at the gym: naked trainers," laughed Jean.

"Then we'll see what kind of man Paul is," growled Yuki.

"We'd make a fortune on pay-per-view," I surmised.

"Especially if you get Ash and Misty to show up for a tag battle," added Zoey.

"On the Paul front, did Rotom learn Pain Split?" asked Yuki.

"I don't think so," I replied. "Rotom has been doing more security work than battling so maybe it doesn't see the need."

"Ahem," scoffed Jean. "Rotom has done more than 'security work'. I believe that there is a tall blonde executive in Goldenrod City that experienced Rotom's gifts."

"You used Rotom to possess a vibrator," concluded Yuki.

"It was her vibrator," I argued.

"That is perhaps the kinkiest use for a Pokemon that I have seen," admitted Zoey.

We three psychic looked at Zoey in disbelief.

"You were on Reef Island?" asked Jean.

"You didn't see the woman who did it with her real Heracross, or notice how it used Bulk Up?" asked Yuki.

"You didn't see the woman who did it with a real Ampharos and how his tail becomes a natural vibrator when using charge?" I asked.

"You didn't see the Mr. Mime that did it with, OUCH!" yelped Jean.

"No names," I ordered.

"Sorry sensei," apologized Jean.

"You mean Delia Ketchem's Mr. Mime?" asked Zoey. "I saw them doing it in the woods outside of Pallet Town. I was going to visit Ash after Dawn and I had one of our break ups. His text message said he would be in town later, so I went to the woods to train my Mismagius. I figured she was your rouge psychic, since you didn't cover your tracks in Pallet Town. Tracy sent me a message asking if I had found the Professor and Mrs. Ketchem."

"She's good," replied Jean.

"Better than a coven full of psychics," added Yuki.

"Can you keep a secret?" I asked.

"In the closet for ten years; does that count for anything?"

"We should ask her to join our coven," suggested Jean.

Zoey flopped her head to the side and beckoned Jean for more information.

"Currently the Psychic Sisterhood of Saffron has three members, us. Our mission statements are to Seduce Men, Dance Naked in the Moonlight and make contracts with demons. Yuki is working on a bowling shirt design."

"We could change the mission statement to Seduce men and/or women," I offered.

"The seduction and dancing I understand. But what kind of contracts do you make with demons?"

"Landscaping and gardening," I replied.

"Gengar?" asked Zoey.

"And Rotom," I added. "You should see it possess the hedge trimmer."

Zoey looked at us one at a time then asked, "Does your group include an award for the most normal member of the month?"

"Since we're all naked, I call this meeting to order. First item, should we consider an award as Zoey mentioned?"

"No, because she'll always win," answered Yuki with a giggle.

"It would be as pointless as making an award of kinkiest sex act, or doing it with the most partners," added Jean.

"Any more discussion? No? Then I call for the vote: All in favor of the 'Zoey is Perpetually the Most Normal Award', say aye."

None did.

"Anybody abstain?"

"Where's the fun in that?" asked Yuki.

"Good point," I replied. "Next item for discussion, should our group adopt a 'secret handshake'?"

"I'd like to suggest the 'bump and grind'," offered Yuki.

"Personally, I'd like us to consider the 'sniff and lick' as demonstrated on Reef Island," I stated.

Jean considered these options and concluded, "Since the secret handshake would be used in public and we're possibly clothed, I think that we need a more subtle 'poke and stroke' type action."

"Good point about the clothing thing," praised Yuki.

"Is there a motion in the tub?" I asked.

"I move that we adopt the Poke and Stroke as the official handshake," moved Jean.

"I second," added Yuki.

"All in favor say so in the usual fashion."

"Oh yes," moaned Jean.

"Mmmm," purred Yuki.

"Yes!" I added.

"Opposed?"

Nothing.

"Those who want to go on record as not voting but in no way want to imply that they abstain from anything, including the use of toys or Pokemon?"

"I think that's me," answered Zoey as she tried hard not to laugh.

"The motion is carried. The Poke and Stroke is now the official secret handshake. Any other old business? Any new business?"

"I'd just like to say that I have had more fun with the three of you, than I have had in months," announced Zoey.

"Should we open the champagne?" asked Jean.

"Do you want to experience my grandmother's hang over cure, again?"

"I propose that we plan for an annual retreat to Reef Island," offered Yuki.

"That get's expensive," I remarked.

"We helped you develop the technology that built your sex empire. We never asked for anything in return," explained Jean.

"Except raises," added Yuki.

"And breasts implants," added Jean.

"Who did that?" I asked.

"Weren't you going to ask Yuki?" asked Jean.

"No. Well I thought about it, but the whole alter ego thing…"

"As my friends, I would be happy to take you guys back," I offered.

"Thanks sensei. Do you think next time you could book us a plane with men that are available?"

"Invite Paul," quipped Yuki.

"Eww! Ick!"

"I couldn't afford enough champagne to make him look attractive," I joked.

"I'd switch from coven to convent if he was my only choice," laughed Zoey.

"So is someone going to demonstrate the secret handshake?" teased Yuki.

"We don't know it; it's a secret," winked Zoey.

"Jean is heading that committee," I replied. "Once you find that secret…" I leaped out of the pool, shook of what water I could and dashed inside to the television. I scanned through the recent commercials that we made at Reef Island and found the product that I wanted. I programmed my Poketch to find an open warp tile to take me to the correct store and dashed out the front door. As I waited for the elevator, I said, "Note to self: Put in a secured warp tile here." I changed my mind and raced back into the apartment.

"Forget something?" asked Yuki as she sat on the couch. The other two were there as well, all wrapped in yukatas.

I found the new stairwell to the downstairs. Once on the true sixty-ninth floor I noted, "Make a foyer in the bonus room, with warptile and biometric door lock."

There was a distant, "ding" as the elevator door opened. I pushed the open door button telekinetically as I race back upstairs.

Jean was channel surfing and found, "Samantha's Water Show."

"Misty is going to kill me when she finds out about this," I remarked then raced out the door.

"Is that the Cerulean Gym?" asked Yuki telepathically.

"Looks familiar doesn't it?"

"When did you use her gym to shoot a porn movie?"

"Last year about this time," I replied. "Misty left to join Ash as he competed in the championships, then disappeared for a week on some emergency rehab for Pikachu."

I left the elevator and entered a hallway devoid of anything but a warp tile. The tile warped me to the self serve novelty store. There I found the Double Dragonair Mark Six: the latest release in double ended pleasure. I grabbed the box, paid via my Poketch and left via the warp tile. Once off the warp tile, I teleported back to the apartment.

"The maglev doesn't go 500 miles per hour," chided Jean.

"What?" I looked. Jean had cued up The Phallic Express.

"That's 500 men per hour," I corrected. "Didn't you read the subtitle?"

"You did 500 men on the maglev?" asked Zoey.

"No. The inside shots were on a sound stage. There were less than 200 men hired as extras; we took multiple shots of them with and without glasses, facial hair, etc. Most of the time, it was one of the full-time actors from the stable." For Zoey's benefit I mentioned, "I own a video production business too."

"And you call the collection of men, the stable."

"It's the same for sumo wrestlers," I replied.

"There's one," mentioned Yuki, "a sumo wrestler."

"No, he's just a fat guy extra. We fitted him with a wig so he'd look like that."

"Where did you find all these men?" asked Jean.

"I used the video booths. We developed a customer profile based upon which videos and commercials they responded positively to. Using that data we recruited men most likely to work as an extra in a pornographic movie."

"I wonder if it said that in their high school yearbooks?" pondered Zoey.

"Is that you in the French maid costume, mopping out the rail car?" asked Jean.

"No, I'm the one pushing the hamper of spent, naked men."

Jean scrolled through more video titles until she stopped and asked, "Cream Acres?"

"It won a few awards last year at the Saffron Adult Video Expo. I'm somewhat proud of the opening scene."

The video started and Yuki teased, "I recognize this side of you," when the scene showed a back shot of me wearing a skimpy French maid outfit and filling a milking pail.

The camera pulled back and showed me milking a tan and buff man.

"I'd say that you had some serious issues," commented Zoey.

"I'm sorry; I was going through a rough breakup. Anyway, what I'm proud of is how well this scene turned out. It took a week of shooting…"

"Pun intended," interrupted Yuki.

"…For this opening scene," I finished. "We had to shoot indoors where we could control the lighting and the back ground. We also used Huge-o as a body double for the close up."

"Huge-o?"

"An over-endowed Mr. Mime. He was also the ringmaster in Samantha's Watershow."

"This isn't the Mr. Mime at the gym. Is it?" asked Zoey.

"No. Huge-o wasn't any good at Pokemon battles because he has this very large target between his legs. The video company recruited him. He has an agent and I make sure he isn't exploited."

"Where did you find that many men?" asked Jean as she licked her lips.

"Same place as for the Phallic Express. Before you ask, they are not all that well hung. That is why the video won an award for best makeup. See where they leave the milking barn? That's their real size.

"The rest of the video involves random customers going to the maid café for 'fresh cream' products," I concluded.

"That's why you called it a stable," remarked Zoey.

"The critics loved it. We've got men pretending to be Tauros, who pretend that they're Miltank. There's a Mr. Mime who's made up to look like a man. Near the end of the video, there is a scene where people enter a virtual reality booth, so they can pretend that they're the men in the video."

"My head hurts," complained Jean.

"Did this win an award for most confusing plot?" joked Zoey.

"What's this scene?" asked Jean as the credits rolled.

"This is one more layer of confusion. This is supposed to be a person designing the virtual reality pods and milking machines. Look familiar?"

"That's you in a black and white scene and the only color is the orange lipstick," remarked Zoey.

"Saffron," I corrected.

After a moment's pause I asked, "Don't you see it? Stand up."

"Are we going to moon people again?" whined Jean.

"If you want to…" I telekinetically opened the drapes behind the television.

"You shot that scene in your apartment?" asked Yuki angrily.

"No, the angle is off," remarked Zoey. "Downstairs?"

I nodded.

"So what are you plans for the next video?" asked Zoey.

"I worked that out of my system, unless Yuki wants to join me."

"No. I did that stuff on Reef Island because you two talked me into it," protested Yuki.

"No more videos?" asked Jean. "But the Samantha series is a successful product."

"Samantha is a dominant female role with saffron colored lips," I corrected. "Any of you could be Samantha… That could be a great plot idea."

"Crap! How many people will you do it with this time?" grumped Yuki.

"Not just me, you could all be Samantha," I replied.

"Don't we have enough to do?" argued Yuki.

"In your downtime when you fantasize about things, just make a note for how you would play Samantha in a video."

"We have downtime?" asked Zoey.

"You make us attend staff meetings when we want to soak in the tub," complained Jean.

"And what do you expect us to do with that?" asked Yuki as she pointed to the box for the Double Dragonair.

"I was hoping you would help me train Rotom. Please?" I asked.

"Sabrina…," growled Yuki.

"Honest. Rotom understands vibrators and climaxes so I was hoping he could understand Pain Split in terms of inducing a mutual climax."

"Go back," ordered Jean.

"Rotom understands…"

"No, before that."

"I was hoping you would help me train Rotom," I recited slowly.

"Just after that," remarked Jean. "You said, 'please'. I bet you never said please before for sex."

"Was this another miracle?" asked Zoey.

"We should go to Psychic Noodles to celebrate," teased Yuki.

"Fine, I'll go see if Gardevoir will help me," I whined as I walked away.

"Not so fast sensei. If Yuki is too prude, I'll do it. I think it's kind of sexy the way you said, 'please'," offered Jean.

"I'll do it," offered Zoey. "Then I can claim two miracles on my first day."

"What?!" whined Yuki.

"Don't be jealous; this is only for training Rotom," corrected Jean.

"Don't be such a prude," commented Zoey.

"Prude? Me?"

"We practically had to beg her to be in a video for the contest at Reef Island," explained Jean.

"Dawn was the same way," conspired Zoey.

"What did you do?"

"Got her a little drunk then threaten to do it with her friend Kenny."

"Do you have his number?" I asked.

"I should," replied Zoey as she scrolled through her Poketch options.

"Oh, no! If anyone is going to screw Sabrina, then it's going to be me!" growled Yuki as she grabbed me by the hand and dragged me to my bedroom. I winked to the other two who stifled their giggles. Once in the bedroom, Yuki pulled off her yukata, wadded it into a ball and tossed it into the corner. "Let's get this over with."

"Rotom!" I mentally called.

"Tom?" asked the electric ghost as it phased though the wall.

"Rotom, we're going to help your training with Pain Split. Now don't use Ominous Wind or electric attacks on us, understand?"

"Rotom."

I took the Double Dragonair out of the box. Rotom possessed it. The dragon toy changed from blue to red and winked at me.

"I've never had a dildo wink at me before," shuddered Yuki.

"Rotom, stop scaring Yuki," I ordered. I put in my end and Rotom explored his mechanical options with the toy. "Yuki, do you want to come first or second?"

"What?"

"Try to come first and Rotom will try to get us to climax at the same time. So we'll try to learn Pleasure Split before we move on to Pain Split later."

"Okay," gulped Yuki.

Yuki quickly enjoyed the training. We took turns changing our arousal level, but Rotom easily compensated. In two hours Yuki was exhausted. I took a break and went to find my new Kadabra.

"Give up?" asked Jean from the couch; she and Zoey were watching the television.

"Halftime," I announced. I found Kadabra outside sleeping with Golduck and little Poliwag between them. I gently touched his mind and stirred him awake.

"Dab?" he asked sleepily.

"Do you know Recover?"

He nodded.

"Please use Recover," I asked. As he did, I held him and felt my own energy replenish. "Thanks and goodnight."

I slipped quietly out of the garden and back to the bedroom. "Rotom, now you need to use Pain Split. Yuki is tired and I had my energy restored; use Pain Split to balance our energy levels. Now take your time."

"What is going on?" asked Yuki.

"Rotom is trying to balance our energy levels with Pain Split. Do you feel better?"

"I think so."

"Great job Rotom," I praised. "Tomorrow we'll try it in battle. Good night."

Rotom left the toy and phased through the wall and went off for other interests.

I slipped my mind into a trance/sleep. My dreams were of a weird movie review show hosted by Zoey and Jean as they featured my videos.


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Lemon Warning: If you don't know what a lemon is or you know you're not supposed to read it, then don't. Really, if you're under 18, go read something else. Also contains mild swearing, and mild use of alcohol.

Sabrina's Journal

Legacy Part Four

Prepare for the Next Adventure

Morning: I should have set my alarm clock back another hour, but five as a number is good as any other. I carefully untangled myself from a familiar collection of limbs: Mine, Yuki's and Jean's leg which needed waxing. Once free, I donned a yukata and shuffled out to the living room. There on the couch was Zoey snoring away. Half a bottle of champagne was on the coffee table.

I took the bottle to the kitchen. As I started the coffee maker and the rice cooker, I stretched out my mind to the Pokemon. The Pokemon were all sleeping in the garden. Espeon's groggy mind touched my own.

"Good morning," I mentally greeted. "I'm just up early. Don't wake the others. Did everyone get along?"

Espeon replied that Gengar was perhaps too friendly with Jean's Misdreavus and Zoey's Mismagius, but everything else went well.

I sensed Gardevoir's fatigue. She was normally up before me and has the coffee and rice ready.

As the coffee brewed, Zoey slinked in while bundled up in a blanket.

"Good morning Wormadam," I teased.

"Hmm?"

"Which version of Wormadam has a cloak of Mareep wool?"

"Electric type," answered Zoey as she stared at the coffee pot.

I fetched cups from the cupboard and poured Zoey some coffee. With cup in hand Zoey replied, "Thanks."

"Did you drink all that champagne?"

"Jean helped."

"Figures."

"What was your grandmother's plan for hangovers?"

"Shouting," I answered as I poured myself a cup of coffee.

"How does that help?"

"You won't bother to get drunk again. Also it triggers certain psychic defenses that ease the pain."

"I'll pass."

"So you've seen the gym, some of the students and found out about some of my habits. Still want to work for me?"

"Will I be part of your 'stable'?"

"You want to be in a porn video?"

"No. I want to know if you think of me as cattle because I'm not psychic."

As I gathered various jars of dried rice toppings from the pantry, I replied, "About a decade ago, a young, non-psychic, trainer saved me from myself. He reminded me to laugh and be human. His name is Ash Ketchem. Now Zoey it was your turn to perform a miracle and save me from the darkness."

"You sure get deep before your morning coffee," commented Zoey between sips of her own coffee.

"Sorry. You are not cattle."

"Good. As for the porn star thing, I already did two scenes with Dawn at Reef Island. Is it really playing downstairs?"

"Yes. Did Jean show you the real time statistics about viewer response and demographics?"

"I don't want statistics on how graphic the viewer's response is," replied Zoey.

"You're pretty good at this."

"Thanks. It's nice that someone notices."

"Dawn a bit slow?"

"Distracted."

"That's a kind way of putting it."

"Why let her get me mad?"

"Zoey, you've got a good head on your shoulders, and this is coming from me."

"Thanks. I'm going to wash up unless you want help with breakfast?"

"Just tell me if your Pokemon have any special diet needs."

"None; they can be picky but they'll cope."

"Then enjoy your bath," I replied.

"What about Jean and Yuki?"

"They can be as difficult to wake as a Snorlax. I usually resort to threats and pushing them out of bed."

Zoey shook her head. She gathered her blanket into a bundle then poured two more cups of coffee. After placing the cups on a tray she carried the coffee to the bedroom. I sensed Yuki and Jean's minds focus on the coffee and follow Zoey to the bath. All three minds focused so intently on the warm bathwater and fresh coffee that I didn't have to drink my own coffee to feel the buzz. The only thought that didn't make sense was that of daffodils.

Half of the Pokemon had staggered in for breakfast before Zoey led Yuki and Jean to the table. "So the joke is about daffodils, but what's the punch-line?" I asked.

"How do to make a daffodil change color?" asked Zoey.

"Put color in the water," replied Jean.

"A person doesn't have to be a psychic to beat one," teased Zoey.

"Your mind was so focused on a bath and coffee, that those two couldn't help but think the same thing," I concluded. "This would also explain why several Pokemon wanted to drink coffee and Solrock tried to jump into the hot tub."

"What other tricks do you know?" asked Yuki.

"I thought I'd ration them. I can't show you all my moves at once. Just use one every now and then to keep things lively," teased Zoey with a naughty grin.

"She's just like Sabrina sensei," shivered Jean.

"You mean to tell me that the Midnight Cowgirl wasn't aware of Saffron Entertainment's rival to the North? You didn't know that Zoey was the star of a dozen porn movies that are worth 500 million Pokedollars?"

"Really?" asked Jean.

"Oh come on Jean," grumped Yuki. "I could see through that one before she said it."

"Because you're the telepath," reminded Jean.

"Because I'm not gullible," replied Yuki with a laugh.

"Poli wag?" asked my newest Pokemon as she staggered into the kitchen with bleary eyes.

"No sweetie; coffee isn't for growing Pokemon like you. But I have some juice that I think you'll like," I replied.

As I offered Poliwag a glass of juice, with straw, Zoey asked, "You can understand what your Pokemon are saying?"

We three psychics just stared at Zoey.

Yuki broke the silence with, "She can be as naïve as Jean."

"As naughty as sensei," added Jean.

"And as prude as Yuki," I concluded.

"Since when am I the prude?" asked Yuki.

"'Sabrina, keep your clothes on.' 'Sabrina, don't do it in front of the children.' 'Sabrina, don't flash Paul.' Yuki you can be a real wet blanket sometimes," I sighed.

"Just for that I'll wet your blankets," growled Yuki.

"At least Zoey doesn't go for the revenge thing," sighed Jean.

Zoey changed the conversation with, "Hey boss, if you stop viewing human as cattle, what are you going to do with this building?"

"Didn't you say you wanted to get into the real hotel business?" asked Jean.

"Grandma thinks I should and that this building and the warp tile network could corner the market. But there is more going on here than me using people. If I got out of the adult business, that wouldn't mean that adult businesses would be out of Saffron City."

"True," agreed Zoey.

"I didn't just build a giant love hotel and put out a 'Help Wanted' sign. I had to take over the whole industry in this city. I bought out existing love hotels and hired their owners to be managers. Soon I had to take over the soapland district."

"Soapland?" asked Yuki.

"Brothels," replied Jean in a matter-of-fact way.

"Brothels?" exclaimed Yuki in a way that distracted the Pokemon from their breakfast.

"It's just a fact of city life: they exist. But they exist at the fringe of society and are run by the fringe of society, until now. I have removed most of the criminal element from the adult business in this city, protected the workers and enhanced their pay. Many of the soapland workers only do it for a few years to raise some capital then they return home. Now they can make money faster and get home sooner."

"A real win-win," grumbled Yuki.

"Property crime is down. Drug use is down. Violent crime is down," I replied.

"And the only thing that the mistress wants is that warm glow for doing the right thing," added Zoey.

Yuki blushed. Then Jean blushed.

"What?" asked the very perceptive Zoey.

"When the Pokemon are safe in their Pokeballs, maybe I'll let you experience that warm glow for yourself," I teased.

"From a business point of view my Grandmother is correct: Saffron Tower is not used to its capacity. The vast share of business is Friday and Saturday. But certain rooms cannot be readily changed to a normal hotel room."

"I remember that jungle room was a bit too warm for a business man in a suit," recalled Zoey.

"I bet an Exeggutor would love it," remarked Jean.

"I have considered that. I could market some of the theme rooms to clients with Pokemon. But young trainers stay in Pokemon Centers, so my clients would be the wealthy clients that have to bring their Pokemon along."

"So?" asked Zoey. "Isn't that what it means to have a five-star hotel? The hotel has to be able to accommodate any request. So what if all you do is put photos of the room on the website and in brochures? Your clients would know that it exists and that's all that matters. Reef Island was a five-star resort, but did you guys use all the amenities?"

"They put us in a tent," replied Yuki.

"I bought my own house and transported it to the island so I'd have someplace to stay," I added.

"Besides that," retorted Zoey. "Pools, hot tubs, massages, jet skis, snorkeling; did you guys use any of those things?"

"Not really," replied Yuki.

"Let's go back," exclaimed Jean.

"I'm glad I have one employee I can count on," I sighed.

"I have to stay here?" whined Zoey.

"I can't keep closing the gym for all these excursions," I argued.

"Says the woman planning on a wild Farfetch'd chase in Hoenn," retorted Yuki.

"How about for the New Year's break?" offered Jean.

"Now you can get three months work out of her," teased Zoey.

"Right now I'm counting on getting four hours of work from you three."

"Work?" asked Yuki.

"We're going to the Mega-Mini-Golf Palace," argued Jean.

"We'll have our gym students, their Pokemon, friends and family to look after in a public area. Most of our students are conditioned not to display their skills in public, yet this is supposed to be a fun exercise of those skills. Isn't it Jean?"

"Yes sensei," replied Jean as she realized where I was going.

"At the same time we have to act as psychic chaperones and run interference between outsiders and the students."

"Boss," replied Zoey flatly, "the world is not out to get you. There will be enough psychic Pokemon around that any strange event can be accounted for. I'll bet that Gengar or Haunter being there will cause more mysterious events than the students will."

Jean's mood lightened, "She's right. If the students learn to use their skills in new ways, or if they just bond closer to their Pokemon, it's all good."

"Sabrina just doesn't know how to have fun in public. She likes to be discreet," purred Yuki.

"Then record it and play it back in the video booths," added Zoey.

"Ha, ha. Just keep those thoughts buried today," I ordered.

They did.

The students had fun. Their Pokemon and families had fun. Their non-psychic friends had so much fun, that two of them want to enroll and be ghost Pokemon trainers.

I stayed in the background and watched. Some of the students and their friends had formed little cliques and were enjoying themselves. I found Jean conducting a light-hearted, telekinesis class on cheating at golf. "Would you care to take a turn, Sabrina sensei?" she asked.

There was a long green rectangle with a ramp in the middle. On the hole-side of the ramp was a set of stairs. A light tug with telekinesis showed that the ramp wasn't fixed to the ground. I lined up the shot, lifted the ramp, struck the ball and…missed the hole. The ball rolled past the hole, bounced off the barrier and rolled back towards the hole, but missed again. So I curved the ball, bounced it two more times and rolled it slowly and deliberately to the cup.

I could feel that Jean and her students were trying to divert the ball. Ten psychic humans and Pokemon were arrayed against me. With their Pokemon, they had a bit more power than I did, but they had trouble pushing in the same direction. I spied a little crack on the ball, so stopped the ball and hoped that our combined telekinesis would shear the ball. What extra energy I had left, I poured into the crack until, "pop," it split.

"Shall we call it a tie?" I offered.

The students were pleased with that, so I moved on to the others.

The others were the students that Zoey was collecting: ghost trainers. The top of the list was Hugh. Zoey and her Mismagius were playing without cheating. Hugh was completely focused on Zoey that he didn't notice as I played alongside. "Haunter, let's show these kids a few things about ghost Pokemon," I mentally called out.

Haunter floated next to me.

When it was my turn, Haunter floated partially through the obstacle on the course. I tapped the ball and used Haunter as a tunnel. I telekinetically pushed the ball on to the cup.

"That's cheating Sabrina sensei," observed Hugh.

"Today is about having fun and learning about our Pokemon. Haunter happened to be there and I knew what the ball would do."

"Haunt, haunt, haunt!" laughed my Pokemon, his disembodied hand beckoned for Hugh to try. Hugh tapped his ball into Haunter's mouth and out the tail.

"How does it do that?"

"If I just told you, that would be cheating," I replied. "Maybe we can help your Sableye learn this trick, and then you'll understand a little more about ghost Pokemon."

Hugh and I spent half an hour just putting balls at our ghost Pokemon. Haunter would offer a new target on his body then let the ball come out a random part. His best trick was to let the ball enter one hand and let it come out the other. This drew applause from the small crowd that gathered. Sableye managed the tunnel trick after repeated coaching.

"Now don't wear out your Pokemon by putting balls at him all day."

"I won't Sabrina sensei."

"Good, and to both of you: good job. You two make a great team."

"Can you teach us that trick too," asked a young trainer, Edgar, who wasn't from the gym.

"Hugh, will you and Sableye teach Edgar and his Pokemon what you have learned?"

Hugh nodded.

Edgar's Pokemon was a shy Gastly that felt overwhelmed by Haunter's personality, so we relied on Hugh and his Sableye. I felt that Hugh was learning from his Pokemon over their unique dark channel. I sent Hugh's Aunt a text, "Sableye learned a new trick. Hugh is teaching it to others."

Zoey and I faded into the background as the crowd focused on Hugh and his Pokemon. I caught Zoey's eye and smiled. Zoey stayed and watched. I moved on to see how Yuri's (Yuki's) students were doing. Yuri's students were just playing miniature golf with no tricks or gimmicks. Their Pokemon were sorely tempted to use their abilities to fix the errant shot.

I caught Yuri's eye and thought, "Nothing special?"

"You want me to teach them to cheat?" thought Yuri.

I smiled and thought, "Good point."

The morning and lunch went well. After lunch we said our goodbyes and left.

As we biked towards home, Jean asked, "When can we do that again?"

"That depends upon how much it cost us and what kind of report you give me about results," I replied.

"Work, work, work," whined Jean.

"I want to know if and how it worked."

"It worked for Hugh," commented Zoey.

"That should be enough," quipped Yuki.

"Yes," I concluded.

"Do I still have to write a report?" asked Jean.

"Yes," I replied.

"Are we still going for ice cream tonight?" asked Zoey.

Yuki informed me, "You need to shop and pack for our trip to Hoenn."

We changed our course and visited Yoshida's. Yuki dragged me to active wear. As Yuki picked out bike shorts and sports bras, I mentally asked, "What kind of activity did you have in mind?"

"Hiking, swimming and spelunking," replied Yuki.

"How about a miniskirt?" I thought.

"How many kinky Picnic Girl outfits to you already have?"

"A couple."

"You don't seem like the type to be a Picnic Girl: you can't cook, sew or tie more than two different knots. You only like camping when you can take an entire house."

"I can make fires," I offered in my defense, "and I doubt that the Picnic Girl handbook covers the best knots for bondage."

"We should volunteer the gym to help out with next Kanto jamboree," suggested Yuki.

"?"

"Just so would spend the week biting your lip."

"That's just evil," I purred.

Yuki grinned.

"After I build the pool, I'll invite the Saffron University Swim Team over for 'special practice'. All those hard bodies in their skin tight competition swimsuits working up a sweat; doesn't that just make you wet?" I projected to Yuki my feelings as I swam naked in a mountain lake.

"Stop it. I give up," thought Yuki with a frown.

"Just as it was getting good," I pouted.

Yuki walked to the register. I phoned Grandmother Lilith, "Can I rent the jet tomorrow?"

"To chase down Kiyo?" she replied.

"Yes."

"I'll have the car pick you up. What time?"

"Seven," I replied.

"Have fun."

It turned out that fun wasn't on the evening's agenda; instead Yuki was rather remote and defensive. I didn't pry and let Yuki make what preparations she thought necessary. I already had: Grandmother Lilith would step in as gym leader, again. Yuki and I ate a simple dinner. I fed the Pokemon while Yuki went to bed early.

"Geng?" asked my gardener as I watched the city from my rooftop garden.

"You noticed it too? Yuki doesn't want to go back home, but she feels that she has to."

"Gengar geng," worried my Pokemon.

"She wants to stay here so I'm sure that she'll come back with me," I replied to assure my Pokemon. Gengar offered me some heavy wire that he used to train the bonsai. "I won't have to tie her up," I chuckled. "I have ways of getting what I want."

Gengar reminded me that I once wanted Anabel.

"That was different: she betrayed me."

Gengar floated by his best topiary: a full sized Gardevoir. He made a heart from the heavy wire and 'gave' it to the topiary then he took back the heart and motioned to give it to the real Gardevoir inside.

"You're right: betrayal can be a matter of perspective. Maybe there is something or someone in Mossdeep that has a greater hold on Yuki's heart than I do." I telekinetically tugged at Gengar's wire heart. He let go. I floated the heart over to me and bent the wire around my finger and fused the loose ends together. I let the bare copper of the ring catch the city lights. "Yuki is different from Anabel and I'm different from who I was back then. If I have to let Yuki go, then I will. But if Yuki needs to know how much she means to me, and to all of us, then she will."

I took the ring off my finger and put it in my pocket. I kissed Gengar goodnight and went in to bed. Yuki was already asleep. I undressed and curled up with her.

Yuki's mind and dreams were closed, so I let my mind wander about the city until the alarm clock buzzed. Yuki didn't get up, typical. I got dressed, ate and gathered our things and Pokeballs. Yuki was still in her defensive sleep. I dressed her and carried her to the elevator. Grandmother's car was waiting for us in the parking garage.

Once the driver pulled away, my grandmother asked, "Is she always like this?"

"I think that she uses sleep as a defense," I replied.

"If she can deal with you, I doubt that anyone would make her defensive," quipped my grandmother.

"Normally she would make a joke in her sleep," I observed.

"I'll leave her to you. As for the gym…"

"Our new teacher is Zoey. She is a top coordinator from Sinnoh and she has made a connection with Hugh. Connection is too light of a word. Miracle would be better."

"I'll keep my distance and let thing progress as they should. Hugh may have a lot of pent-up emotions concerning his sister," speculated Grandma Lilith. "If his condition regresses, I'll step in."

"There is also a trainer that may come for a gym battle. His name is Paul and he is also from Sinnoh. There is a report on my desk for you to read. I'd like a chance to battle him and teach him a lesson."

"We teach lessons to those that we deem worthy of them," my grandmother half-scolded. "I doubt that Paul is the first trainer of his kind and he won't be the last. I'll read the report and deal with him if need be. You should deal with your anger and think things through."

"Yes ma'am. Strange, I said something similar to Yuki a few days ago."

The car stopped. Grandmother's private jet was waiting for us.

"Remember what is really important and don't lose yourself," instructed my grandmother as I telekinetically loaded the plane with Yuki and our bags.

I went to the hatch and waved goodbye. I sent my grandmother a mental image of the ring I made.

"It's almost shameful to know how cheap you are," mused my Grandmother. With her warmest thoughts she added, "I approve."


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Lemon Warning: If you don't know what a lemon is or you know you're not supposed to read it, then don't. Really, if you're under 18, go read something else. Also contains mild swearing, and mild use of alcohol.

Legacy

Part Five

Conflicting Legacies

"So this is how the other half lives," yawned Yuki as she snuggled into her chair.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.

"Private jets and chauffer driven limousines," replied Yuki.

"My grandmother is a successful businesswoman; she did not become successful by wasting time or money. This plane saves time: no security screenings, delays, transfers or boarding calls."

"Why don't you have one?"

"I don't leave Saffron City very often; if I did then I'd consider it. Still, it is a little slow for me."

"Slow?"

"I can teleport all over Saffron City so a jet feels slow and cramped."

"I think it feels cozy: just you, me and some really comfy seats. Care to join the mile high club?" purred Yuki.

I raised an eyebrow.

Yuki looked deflated.

"Parts one, two and three," I added to the unspoken video titles.

"Did you do a whole jumbo jet?" growled Yuki.

"A passenger jet was the scene for the first video, but only as a backdrop for the fantasies which included an acrobatic stunt plane, hot air balloon, airship, zero-g simulator plane and various firefighting aircraft."

"Did that involve some water dropping imagery at climax?"

"It is a bit obvious, isn't it?"

"Zero-g?"

"Unless you're telekinetic it isn't worth it; you bounce off of everything, including your partner. At least when skydiving you have air resistance to help."

"Skydiving?"

"When you see the video you'll never see a maple seed falling the same way again," I warned.

"Talk about something else," pleaded Yuki.

"Kiyo is allegedly in a cave system near Mossdeep. What kind of psychic Pokemon can we expect?"

"Probably none; Psychic Pokemon make their home all over Hoenn except near Mossdeep. Mossdeep has a higher level of psychic humans, but no Pokemon."

"Sounds like a great research project."

"Another one?" whined Yuki. "Growing up I thought universities were people that came to your home like meter readers. There was always a study going on; outsiders trying to blend in, new instruments and sensors sprouted every spring like weeds."

"Did they find anything?"

Yuki shrugged. "We kids found great sport of throwing rocks and petty vandalism."

I smiled and said, "Protect our own."

"Anything else?"

"The reason that psychic Pokemon don't live near Mossdeep is that it's too noisy. I have seen young Pokemon flinch as they go near your classroom."

"Is it that bad?"

"When we remodel, I'll have some basic shielding installed," I offered.

"Like soundproofing music rooms," inferred Yuki.

I half scowled.

"What? 'Samantha Get's Schooled'? 'Co-head Samantha'? 'Samantha's After School Program'?" guessed Yuki.

I winked and said, "Gotcha. But you did give me some good titles for future videos. I should text Jean and let her come up with scripts."

"You won't because Jean's Poketch isn't secure and you wouldn't put your real name to Samantha in public," accused Yuki.

"Correct," I replied as I withdrew my hand from my Poketch.

"The more that I get to know you…"

"…the more that you love me?" I asked.

"The more I want to spank you," huffed Yuki.

"That can be fun too," I teased with a wink that coincided with the fasten seat belt chime.

Yuki stared out the window and matched her view to her memories of her home, neighborhood, harbor, space center and the reefs.

"It will be a few more minutes ladies; there is some traffic ahead of us," announced the pilot.

When we did land, we were met on the tarmac by Yuki's parents: Patrick and Patricia Cellars.

"You didn't have to rent a cab," insisted Yuki.

"Nonsense, we can't have your boss think that Mossdeep is some primitive backwater," replied Mr. Cellars.

A massive cargo plane landed and drowned out the conversation. After our packs were put in the trunk and two generations of Cellars crammed themselves into the backseat we left the airport. When the noise level subsided, Mrs. Cellars asked, "Is this your first visit to Mossdeep?"

"Second actually, but I couldn't see the sights and enjoy myself last time."

The cab passed through a patch of jungle. On the other side was the tranquil fishing village of Mossdeep City. The cab drove by the castle ruins and a view of the main harbor before stopping at the Cellar's house.

We went inside and settled in the living room. Yuki was talking constantly about business and politics with her father. "Are we leaving you out Miss Sabrina?" asked Mrs. Cellars.

"I'm a psychic; I'm not really 'left out'," I explained.

"Doesn't it bore you to hear them talk about fish and fishing?"

"No."

"I wonder if you still say that after dinner."

Dinner was in a local fish restaurant; a boisterous place that was as much a focal point of Mossdeep's commercial and sport fishing as the port. Mr. Cellars was a fish monger and was always thinking about business. Everyone he waved to represented a type, quality and quantity of fish, including past, present and future values. We ate samplers of the local specialties and I was politely introduced to some of the family friends.

That evening as I tried to sleep in Yuki's room, Yuki asked, "Did father bore you with fish?"

"Your father has managed to develop a latent Future Sight ability into a great tool for business. Unfortunately he views me as someone who is seducing you away from the family business," I observed.

"Here we go again," groaned Yuki.

"Your father and I are a lot alike; where I view everything as a means to develop my psychic abilities, he views everything to develop his business."

"Yeah," agreed Yuki.

"The problem is that you lack any Future Sight talent."

"Probably because I could see that my future was that of a fish monger," grumped Yuki. "I think we should start looking of Kiyo in the morning."

Not wanting to add to Yuki's troubles, I said nothing and slept.

I slept until the smells of rice and coffee woke me, at three am. I dressed and shuffled out for breakfast. Mrs. Cellars quickly made a place for me at the table that was set for two.

"What's it like to be a gym leader?" asked Mrs. Cellars.

"Too easy," I replied as she handed me a bowl of rice. "You battle and evaluate young trainers and reward a few with a badge. The Pokemon League provides a stipend but it barely covers the maintenance costs. I have to bring in students and their tuition to pay for expenses, but now that I have four people on staff, the tuition doesn't cover it."

"Sounds like the charter boat business," remarked Mr. Cellars as he offered to fill my coffee cup.

"Thank you. Yuki's position at the gym is more like the charter boat. Her primary duty is to teach. Her secondary duty is to referee Pokemon Battles. Unlike the charter boat business, my gym does a lot of charity work. I can't turn away young psychics that need to learn and develop."

"But you have a high tech company," offered Mrs. Cellars.

"That technology was the result of innovations from the gym." I made an obvious exam of my Poketch and said, "Sixteen messages since yesterday. If I ignore the business, the gym loses funding. If I focus too much on the business, I lose the students. Thankfully both the gym and the business have reached a point where they don't need me constantly. A few years ago and I would have had sixty-one messages, in an hour.

"At least I had an untapped market. You also have to contend with weather, currents, climate and a market filled with competition," I praised.

"Well, I…" stammered Mr. Cellars.

"Just listening to your dinner conversation gave me a deeper appreciation for my grandmother."

"Why's that?" prompted Mrs. Cellars.

"She owns a majority share of Yoshida's department store, so not only does she have to predict what's in fashion next year, she has to predict if the store will be profitable next decade."

"Was your grandmother also a gym leader?"

I nodded. "She started the Sylph Company then got into department stores so she could have a retail outlet. She could retire but I think that she enjoys the work. My father succeeded her as gym leader, but he really wanted to be a railroad engineer."

"That sounds like the beginning of a long feud," observed Mrs. Cellars as she eyed her husband.

"I'm not aware of the details. What I do know is that my father developed a city wide teleportation system that we call 'warp tiles'. He went to work for the Sylph Company on a part-time basis. He didn't develop the warp tiles further because he didn't want to put the railroads out of business."

"Dear, why don't you take Miss Sabrina with you to work," offered Mrs. Cellars.

"I don't think that she'd enjoy that."

"Actually I find fish markets and auctions intoxicatingly fascinating."

"You do?"

"Mental calculations, haggling, bidding,…" I listed. "It's better than sports because it's all up here," I remarked as I tapped my temple.

"If you don't mind ridding on the back of my mule…"

The "mule" was an electric, three-wheeled cart that smelled of the tons of fish it had delivered.

I faded into the background as Mr. Cellars read through reports, requests, offers and orders. His pencil and cell phone worked as fast as his mind. At his slowest he was only doing two things at the same time. Even when he said hello, he was nurturing business relations or gauging the market.

Mr. Cellars wasn't the only one. Two other brokers saw the world in that fuzzy state that Future Sight users do.

At the auction, the main means of communication was eye contact. In the small area set aside for tourists, a camera flash went off, despite the sign requesting otherwise. I looked through the tourist's mind at his camera; everyone had their eyes closed.

The fish market in Saffron City had volume, but this one had quality. There were two brokers at my age that were trying to follow their peers. Older brokers were thinking three or four days ahead. Then there was Mr. Cellars who was pushing himself to see as far as possible.

I've watched my financial planner, Frank, during a trading session, but Mr. Cellars was years ahead in skill since he had been competing in a market with latent psychics for over twenty years. In a brief moment of calm, he noticed that I was still here.

"Someday, I hope you would be willing to teach my students."

"About fish?" he asked.

"About how you see the world of fish and markets," I explained.

"Oh, uh…"

"Don't worry about the teaching; your daughter is good at that. Let me just say that you are the best human example I know of a Future Sight user. We'll talk later. I'm teleporting back. It really was a pleasure to meet you."

I gave Mr. Cellars a slight bow then teleported back to Yuki's room.

Yuki was still snoring away. I dressed her in the clothes we bought for our expedition. After I had the bags packed, I carried Yuki out for breakfast.

The smell of coffee and my mental prodding got Yuki awake.

She noticed that she was already dressed and shrugged it off.

Mrs. Cellars caught my eye and we both shook our heads.

When Yuki was ready we headed out.

"Where to?" asked Yuki.

"You're the local expert," I reminded her.

"Oh yeah. Then let's head to the docks."

"Pick up a few sailors?"

"Stop it," growled Yuki.

After we walked to the docks, Yuki started to interview the charter boat captains.

I sat on a bench and waited. I waited some more. I got bored. I dashed into a gift shop and bought enough clothes for a makeshift gi and black belt. I walked up and down the docks and read all the minds that I could. In two passes I found a captain that recently took a black belt to a nearby island.

I asked her, "Would you be willing to take me and a friend to the same island as the black-belt?"

"You guys having a convention there?" she asked.

"You need a hotel for that," I scoffed.

"Where is your friend?"

"She'll be along shortly," I replied. I climbed aboard and waited for Yuki to finish her interview with another captain.

"Let's go," I projected.

"How did you do it?" she pondered.

"Simple: dress up like a black belt, walk around and read the thoughts that it triggers."

"I guess I should have thought of that."

"Should have if you didn't grow up here," I corrected.

The engines roared to life and we sped off. Yuki recognized every rock and reef along the way. She even recognized the captain as Shirley Drake, a friend from grade school. Thirty minutes later we set foot on tiny beach near a cave.

At the mouth of the cave was a man stretching. We walked up and I asked, "Is Master Kiyo nearby?"

The fighting Pokemon trainer grumbled, "Why doesn't anyone dress appropriately?"

I looked at the outfit that Yuki picked out for me and started to unbutton the shirt.

The man stammered, "…?"

"Tell me when I've taken off enough," I replied as I removed my shirt.

"What?!"

"These clothes are clearly bothering you." I kicked off my shoes as I unbelted and unzipped my pants.

"But, but,…"

"Sabrina?"

I was down to my sports bra and bike shorts, which is what most of the battle girls wore.

"You mean I didn't take off enough? What kind of pervert are you?"

"Th-th-that's not what I meant."

"You were going to do more than ogle me in my underwear? You were planning on molesting me, weren't you? You were going to use your black belt karate to force your attentions on two defenseless women? Help! Pervert!" I shrieked.

"Please stop! Put your clothes on! I didn't mean it!"

"You say that now then when my back is turned you'll grab me from behind and rip off my clothes!" I grabbed the hem of the sports bra for effect.

The man shielded his eyes and turned away.

"Now he'll use some secret porterhouse kick thing that will knock me down so he can violate me!"

He threw himself onto the sand and put his hands behind his head as he cried, "I didn't mean any harm!"

I jumped on his back, yanked off his black belt and tied his wrists tightly together.

"Now that I've established the superiority of psychics over fighters, would you be kind enough to lead us to Master Kiyo?"

"Wha?"

"You were trying to assert the superiority of fighting Pokemon and the warrior philosophy by making derogatory remarks about my clothes which are not consistent with the training of karate."

"I was?"

"Yes. But I was asserting the superiority of psychics by turning your warrior code against you."

"You tricked me!"

"That's what I said."

"Untie me," he demanded.

"No because now that you realize what I have done you reverted to your hostile and domineering ways that are a result of your devotion to the physical aspects of martial arts and not their philosophy."

"I don't follow."

"Which is why I'm not untying you," I explained.

"Oh, it's a lesson of some sort."

"Yes."

"It is not the sash that binds me, it is my ignorance," he mused.

"That's a good one," remarked Yuki. "Did you make it up, or your sensei?"

"My sensei…"

I got off his back and put on my clothes. "I'm Sabrina, this is Yuki and you are?"

"Hugh," he grunted as he struggled to free himself.

"Will you take us to Master Kiyo?" I asked again.

"Uh?"

"It's not your sash that binds you to the ground, it's your lack of skill," quipped Yuki.

Hugh thrashed about until he got to his knees, then his feet. Hugh shuffled toward the cave. Yuki whispered, "I didn't think you could make a man beg you not to take off your clothes."

"You're always telling me to keep my clothes on," I rebutted.

"That's different."

"The only difference is that you don't beg," I teased as I slapped her ass. "So Hugh, what Pokemon do you have," I asked to make conversation.

"Machoke, Machamp and Hariyama."

"That's promising," I replied.

"Huh?"

"How would you describe a Primeape?" I asked.

"Crude. Wild."

"How would you describe a Machamp?"

"Versatile."

"See? You chose a Pokemon that was versatile, so to use it to its potential you have to understand many styles of fighting."

"You mean Hariyama has finesse?" asked Yuki.

Hugh then attempted to describe a dozen different throws: he wiggled his elbows and hips to compensate for his bound hands.

"So even though your hands are bound, you could still throw me to the ground and take advantage of me?!" I shrieked.

"No! I didn't mean it that way."

"Maybe we should bind his legs too," suggested Yuki.

"Please don't," whined Hugh. "I haven't learned your first lesson yet. I'm not ready to learn something else."

"Okay; but no funny moves."

"I am impressed with how much you know about Hariyama," praised Yuki.

"I studied under Brawly at the Dewford Gym. I learned what I could, but I still don't understand surfing."

"What does surfing have to do with fighting Pokemon?" I asked.

"I don't know," replied Hugh, "That's why I left the gym and went to find Master Kiyo."

"Isn't there a famous quote, 'Be like water'?" asked Yuki.

"I didn't get that either."

"When you were young and took a bath, did you ever slap your hand on the water?" asked Yuki.

"I think so."

"What did the water do?"

"It would splash me in the face."

"Did you hurt the water?"

"No."

"If you understood why then you'll understand why Brawly surfs."

"I thought that Brawly surfed because he didn't take his gym leader duties seriously," I remarked. "I suppose there could be worse hobbies than surfing."

"But we wouldn't know anything about that," teased Yuki.

I shrugged for the sake of having the last comment. "What kind of Pokemon can we expect to find in these caves?"

"Mostly Spheal and Zubat," replied Hugh.

I let Golduck and Kadabra out of their Pokeballs. The pair practiced their Confusion and Psychic respectively by chasing away the stray Zubat. This was an occasional exercise until Hugh shouted, "Master Kiyo!" Then a flock of Golbats charged down the tunnel.

"Bad idea," remarked Yuki.

Hugh released his fighting Pokemon and the four of them swung ineffectively at the flying Pokemon.

"Enough!" I commanded. Golduck and Kadabra added their psychic energies to my own hold on the melee. All combatants nervously stared at me. "Hugh, recall your Pokemon, now." This was done. "Now apologize to the Golbats for waking them."

"Sorry."

"Good. Golbats go back to your den and sleep."

A large Golbat shrieked his indignation.

"Go back to your den and sleep, or I'll knock you out and you'll sleep on the floor." I gave him and his closest allies a bit of a squeeze to make my point. "Hugh may be a fighting Pokemon trainer, but I am a psychic. I am a very strong psychic and I have very strong psychic Pokemon. You will lose." I telekinetically threw the flock down the tunnel they came in.

"Um… are you the psychic that defeated Master Kiyo and his dojo?" asked Hugh.

"Yes. Will this affect your performance as a guide?" I asked.

"No, no, no."

"Sabrina, your eyes are doing that slit thing again," whispered Yuki.

I psychically relaxed. After my power level, and anger, dropped, Yuki smiled and said, "Back to normal. Maybe you're actually a Pokemon and I can capture you."

"What kind of training did you have in mind?" I purred.

"Manners, etiquette, flower arrangement and swimming," listed Yuki.

"Boring," I replied.

"Oh! What would you train me to do, if you could?" asked Yuki.

"Telekinesis, teleportation, Octillery, Persian and Dunsparce," I listed.

"???"

"You never read the copy of the 'Poke Sutra' I keep by the bed?"

"You have too much sex on the brain."

"Because I haven't had enough on my body. I could tell Karate Boy to wait while we 'relieve' ourselves."

"Learn some self control and keep hiking," growled Yuki.

"Maybe I'll ask you to take a break while I use Hugh."

"Sabrina!"

"What? Do you want to do him first? He's a virgin," I teased.

Yuki's mind raced through several painful memories before it shut me out. My Kadabra and Golduck shuddered and looked upon Yuki with concern.

I whispered to Yuki, "I'm sorry that I made you remember that. If you want, we'll talk about this later."

Yuki nodded.

"Hey, Hugh, why are you turning down that way? Isn't Kiyo over here?"

"There is a wall of ice blocking the way," explained Hugh.

As we navigated around the blockage, we started to hear shouts and crashes.

We reached the source of the ruckus, found Master Kiyo, three Pokemon trainers and four fighting type Pokemon: Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee, Hitmontop and a Primeape.

"Sabrina?" asked Master Kiyo.

The Pokemon trainers looked at me suspiciously.

"Master Kiyo," I replied with a slight bow.

"Why have you come here?" he asked.

"I wish to apologize for my past behavior and request that you return to Saffron City as leader of your fighting dojo," I replied.

"Thank you for your apology. I would like some time to consider returning to Saffron City."

"May I ask what all the noise was about?" I asked.

"These trainers and their Pokemon were practicing on this wall of ice."

"What makes this section of wall so special?" I asked.

"Legend has it that years ago an Aura Guardian and his Lucario were hunting a witch and her Froslass. The Froslass lured the Lucario into this cave and trapped him in a wall of ice," replied a trainer named Tonya. "Legend also says that the Froslass trapped herself in the ice."

"So why smash the ice?"

"To free Lucario," replied another trainer.

"To prove to Master Kiyo that we're worthy to be his disciples," claimed Hugh.

"If there is a Froslass trapped inside, how would you battle her?" asked Yuki.

"My Primeape knows Overheat," claimed Tonya.

"My Hitmonchan knows Fire Punch," replied a trainer named Ray.

"Was this your idea Master Kiyo?" I asked.

"No. I just heard of the legend and came to look. These trainers followed me and have been trying to impress me."

"Before this is smashed to pieces, may I examine it first?" Since no one objected, I tried to look into a section of undamaged ice. There was a dark patch that looked like a Lucario. I tried to mentally probe the figure, but I received no reply. I stepped away from the ice wall. Ray and his Hitmonchan took their turn at hitting the ice.

"Did you find anything?" asked Yuki mentally.

"No, but that doesn't mean that there isn't something there. Watch over me, I'm going in for another look." I sat on the cave floor then let my astral form leave my body.

Once I passed into the ice, I felt cold. Something was projecting cold across the dimensions. Despite the chill, I moved closer to the shadow and felt colder. The cold became so intense that I couldn't reach its source. I quickly retreated back to my real body.

I opened my eyes and found Yuki holding me close and trying to rub warmth into my body. "Thank goodness you're back," she sighed.

"Legend or not," I chattered. "I do believe that there is a Froslass trapped in the ice."

"And the Lucario?" asked Tonya.

"I have to warm up before I go back in to look," I replied with a shiver.

"Hitmonchan, use your Fire Punch to heat those rocks," ordered Ray. Hitmonchan did and my corner of the cave was much warmer.

Yuki retrieved her sleeping bag and covered me. Once warm, I project myself back into the ice. I searched until the cold forced me out, but I did see a pair of long blue ears.

"There may be a Lucario in there," I chattered. "Towards this end," I pointed. "The Froslass is over there."

"Are they alive?" pondered Yuki.

"I couldn't find any thoughts in there earlier," I mentally replied. A stray thought crossed my mind, "Maybe I wasn't patient enough to listen." I slowed my thoughts. The thoughts of the trainers were like the low buzz of insects. I focused my attention on the pair of blue ears I found. What mental activity I found there was concentrated on his right palm. He was sending pulses of energy to find weak points in the ice.

When I returned my mind to normal speed, the trainers had left. Only Yuki and Master Kiyo remained. "Where did everyone go?" I asked.

"Good morning," replied Yuki.

"Morning?"

"You've been in your trance for ten hours," explained Yuki. "The trainers move to a warmer part of the cave system to sleep." Yuki was under the sleeping bag with me.

"Did you find anything useful?" asked Kiyo.

"There is a Lucario in there, but his metabolism is very slow. He is using an attack that involves sending energy from his palm into the weak points of the ice."

"That is probably Force Palm," replied Kiyo.

"What kind of attacks did the others use?"

"Brick Break, Focus Punch, Fire Punch, Dynamic Punch…" listed Kiyo.

"Strong attacks that lack a certain flair," I replied.

Kiyo nodded. "When there is this much ice, it isn't brittle; it's plastic. Their attacks do little to damage the ice. There is also a source of water that fills the cracks and is quickly frozen by the cold from Froslass. It's the perfect prison."

I laughed.

"What is so funny?" asked Kiyo.

"You have an interesting way of motivating people. I'd almost guess that you were psychic," I teased.

Yuki explained, "Sabrina likes a challenge. A perfect prison just begs to be broken."

"Could you wait until the others return," asked Kiyo. "I think it could make an interesting lesson. By the way, why was Hugh tied up?"

"I'm trying to teach him a lesson," I replied. "Is breakfast included with this hotel?"

"Let's go where it's warm and I'll fix you something," offered Kiyo.

Kiyo led us to a large chamber that was warm as the nearby tropical seas. The trainers we met the day before, and their Pokemon, were sleeping. Kiyo motioned for us to sit in their kitchen area while he warmed a pot of chanko on a small gas stove.

"Why do you want me to return?" asked Kiyo.

"My grandmother made me aware of the long history our families share and how important they were to the Gambler's Siege. If you did return, then Saffron City would be the only city with two Pokemon Gyms, a boon for Pokemon trainers and the city. Also with Psychic/Fighting Pokemon like Medicham becoming popular, I need an expert on fighting Pokemon to train my students. Perhaps our gyms could share in their training."

"Those are good points, but would I be operating on my own terms?"

"I can't make you say yes. All I can offer is my financial and political support for your gym."

"I've spent the last ten years searching. Searching for a reason to go back and searching for a reason to stay away. I haven't found a reason for either. I was hoping to find something in the legend that would inspire me, or maybe one of those trainers would do it."

Kiyo offered Yuki and me bowls of fish broth chanko. As we ate, Kiyo made tea.

"Sabrina, what are you going to do next?" Yuki asked mentally.

"If I do the wrong thing, it'll just drive him off," I mentally noted.

"But if you don't do anything, he'll just wait here for a long time."

I concluded, "Then I'll have to break the ice and free the Pokemon in an inspiring way."

"Good luck with that."

"We could have some really hot sex and melt the ice," I mused.

"I'm about to spoon you in a new and painful way for that," mentally threatened Yuki.

"Well it inspires me."

Yuki flung a piece of potato at me. I psychically redirected it into my mouth.

"Master Kiyo, do any of the fighting Pokemon here know Force Palm?" I asked.

"Hugh's Hariyama could," replied Kiyo.

The smell of food and tea roused, slowly, the others from their sleep. When he was awake enough to reply, I asked Hugh if his Hariyama knew Force Palm; it didn't.

"There is one being here that knows Force Palm: Lucario," I noted.

"You have a plan?" asked Kiyo.

"I have an idea," I corrected. "First: breakfast." I held out my bowl for more chanko.

Yuki and I let out our Pokemon so they could be fed. The fighting Pokemon were nervous around our psychics, but Poliwag's charm relieved some of the tension.

After breakfast, we returned to the ice cave. "Rotom, I need you to use Pain Split to transfer some of my energy to Lucario who is trapped in the ice."

"Tom," agreed the plasma Pokemon.

With Rotom's help, we sped Lucario's thoughts. "I'm still trapped," he observed.

"Yes," I replied. "We are trying to get you out."

"Where is the Froslass?"

"She is here too. She trapped herself in the same ice that trapped you."

"Then leave me. Don't let her escape." Lucario ceased his Force Palm.

Something else changed: the cavern got colder.

"Lucario, you must continue to use Force Palm. If you stop, Froslass will win."

"She's trapped," he argued.

"Only by your Force Palm," I observed. "It interferes with her control over the ice."

Lucario reestablished his Force Palm and the cold receded.

"That did it."

Yuki's thoughts cut in, "Sabrina, it's been four hours. You need to take a break."

"What does that mean?" asked Lucario.

"I'll return soon," I replied.

"Food, water and hot tea," I ordered as I left my trance.

Kiyo and the fighting Pokemon trainers looked at me.

"Please?" I added.

Kiyo smiled then left. Hitmonchan was working his Fire Punch to keep me warm.

"How do you feel?" asked Yuki.

"Mentally drained," I replied. "It took a lot of energy to bring Lucario's mind up to that speed. I'll need Kadabra's Recover for the next trip."

Kiyo returned with hot chanko and tea. I ate then released my Kadabra. "I need to synchronize with you and your Recover. Can you do that for me?"

"Dabra."

"Thank you."

I returned to my trance and into Lucario's mind.

"What are you doing to me?" he asked.

"I'm giving you some of my mental energy to speed up your thought processes."

"How?"

"It would take too long to explain. I need you to teach me Force Palm. Open your mind to all your memories and thoughts about Force Palm. Remember when you trained for it. Remember the feeling as your energies stunned your target. Remember how your trainer taught you Aura Sphere based upon Force Palm. Think about how at this moment you are searching for tiny cracks in the ice and shocking them."

Lucario's mind filled with every memory of Force Palm. I could feel every nuance of the attack. I could sense the weak points in the ice, and Lucario sensed my intentions. "Stop, you must not free me," he insisted.

"Lucario, I can't leave either of you trapped in the ice. Don't worry about Froslass; my Pokemon and I are strong enough to deal with her."

"No," he insisted.

"Lucario! I'm the strongest human psychic in the world. I have mastered ghost Pokemon before. When I break the ice, you need to be ready. If Froslass is truly that strong, I'll need your help. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mistress."

When I exited my trance, hot tea and soup were waiting for me. "I warned the others that you would return," winked Yuki.

"Master Kiyo, I need to learn Force Palm. I have learned what I could from Lucario; can you teach me the rest?"

"I'll try."

After an early dinner, I practiced what I learned on the ice wall. Master Kiyo observed my attempts at slapping the ice. There were a few cracks that grew, but refroze. "I think that you should learn Force Palm for its original purpose before using it to crack ice," he offered.

"Wouldn't that involve a different kind of target?" I asked.

"Use me as your target," he offered.

"Master Kiyo?" gasped his would be disciples.

"You three wanted to learn from me, but you didn't learn from your own mistakes. You punched and kicked that wall of ice for days and nothing happened. Not because you were weak, but because you could never be strong enough to break it. Hugh, did you ever learn what Mistress Sabrina was trying to teach you?"

"No," he mumbled.

"It's just the same as the finger puzzle: to be released you have to submit. To break this ice you have to let it break itself.

"Now Mistress Sabrina, show me what you learned about Force Palm," beckoned Kiyo. I sparred with the Master. He let my open hand strikes hit him in the shoulder. "You're a psychic: you should know where my nerve clusters are," he chided.

I let my second sight guide my strikes.

"That's better," observed Kiyo. "But now you're using your psychic abilities. This isn't a psychic attack; it's a fighting attack. The energies are close but not identical. Your psychic energy comes from the mind. Fighting energy comes from the heart."

After I made a few more attempts, Kiyo said, "With training martial arts becomes more about reflexes and muscle memory than conscious thought."

"Reflexes…" I pondered. "After dinner, can I borrow your large spoon?" I asked.

Dinner was chanko again. I took the cleaned spoon and asked Yuki, "Can I practice spooning you?"

"Sabrina?" hissed Yuki.

"I need to observe your reflexes," I explained.

Yuki sat on a camp stool and crossed her legs. I tapped her leg below the knee and her foot kicked forward. I opened my second sight and tried to see her reflexes at the nervous system level. As Kiyo explained, there was very little conscious thought involved.

"Are we there yet?" asked Yuki.

"Almost," I replied. "I think I have found the origin of the phrase, 'a mind of its own'." I focused my energy into my thumb and tapped Yuki on the leg.

Yuki reported, "My leg has gone asleep."

"Then I think that counts as a success."

"We should spar some more," instructed Kiyo. So we did. On my third attempt at Force Palm, Kiyo yelped, "Yes, that's it."

"Are you okay, Master?" asked Tonya.

"My whole arm tingles," he explained. "It's like hitting your funny bone, only it doesn't fade as fast."

"I was told that I don't have a funny bone," I deadpanned.

"It was probably me that said it," grinned Kiyo. "Now get some rest."

Yuki and I joined Tonya in the ladies' quarters, which was a smaller room off of the main cavern. Tonya's eyes grew wide as Yuki and I stripped and got into the same sleeping bag.

"What?" I asked.

"Um, nothing," replied Tonya as she blushed and turned away.

The day's activities had caught up to Yuki; she nodded in and out of consciousness. "What are you reading?" she asked.

My Poketch's glow dimly lit her face.

"The Poke Sutra," I replied.

"Why now?"

"Because it is the only text I have in my Poketch that is relevant to Force Palm."

"?" yawned Yuki.

"When I first read the Poke Sutra, I thought it was in error because the pleasure points listed didn't match the conscious nervous network that I understood. Now that I have learned a little about Force Palm, the Poke Sutra makes more sense."

"That's nice. Good night." Yuki then snored.

"How about you Tonya?"

"What?"

"Have you read the Poke Sutra?"

"No. What's that?"

"Do you have a Poketch?"

"Yes."

"Then hold it up. Thank you." I floated the Poketch over to me and examined it. It was a cheaper model with less memory than needed to hold the whole text with pictures. I set up a local network so Tonya could read my text. "At least you have a color screen," I said as I sent her Poketch back to her. "The pictures are as important as the theory."

Tonya started to read. I could sense her blushing and shutting off her reader application.

"You can't improve if you don't learn," I warned.

"This has nothing to do with training fighting Pokemon," she argued.

"Did you look up the Primeape?" I asked.

"Yes," she fumed.

"Would a female Primeape be aggressive and knock down her mate?"

"Yes. But…"

"Considering a Primeape's leg structure and stance, wouldn't that position be the most practical way for a Primeape to have sex?"

"But that has nothing to do with fighting," she argued.

"Wrong. It has everything to do with fighting. Pokemon fight for food, territory and access to mates. If you want to be a better Primeape trainer, you need to learn what it means to be a Primeape. Besides are you not training so you can have sex with Hugh?"

"!?!"

"I'm more than enough of a psychic to realize that you were jealous of me when we first met."

Tonya said nothing.

"I'm not interested in Hugh."

"She's got me," mumbled Yuki in her sleep.

"I'm here to rescue Lucario and Froslass then bring Master Kiyo back to Saffron City. If you want a chance with Hugh, I suggest that you start reading. Hugh doesn't understand Primeapes and thinks that they are crude. But check the index for Hariyama." I waited for Tonya to do so. After she gasped, I said, "Does that not look familiar? The Hariyama position is very similar to the Primeape. Your reading assignment is read about Primeape, Hariyama, Machoke and Machamp positions."

"Yes Mistress Sabrina," gulped Tonya.

I left my Poketch in server mode and fell asleep.

I awoke and my Kadabra enhanced smell told me that Tonya had tried a few moves on herself.

"Did you do Tonya last night?" asked a groggy Yuki.

"No; I just gave her a reading assignment. I think that she wore herself out with the exercises."

"Well if I can smell it, everyone else will too."

I shook Tonya awake and almost got clobbered. "Don't hit! You better go somewhere and get cleaned up: you smell of sex," I whispered. She froze so I slapped her face. "Don't disgrace Primeape by going weak."

"And use soap," insisted Yuki.

Tonya raced off with a cleaner set of clothes in hand.

"That may take care of her, but her bed roll stinks," observed Yuki.

"I've got that covered," I replied as I went through my bag and retrieved a case of custom Pokeball capsules. I opened the case and selected the washing machine ball. Into the capsule went Rotom's Pokeball, and out of the ball came Rotom.

"Rotom?" asked the little ghost as it realized what it possessed.

"We need some laundry done. Are you up for it?"

The little one agreed, so Yuki and I loaded Rotom with all the dirty laundry we could find.

"What other appliances do you have?" asked Yuki.

I listed, "Toaster oven, microwave, coffee maker, space heater, lawn mower, video camera, laser pointer, solar powered garden light, massaging recliner…"

"Garden light and recliner?" asked Yuki.

"I went to the store and asked for something solar powered, so they sold me a plastic Torkoal that glows red when the sun goes down. I thought I would use it to feed Rotom since there isn't much electricity on the reef and in caves."

"And the recliner?" prompted Yuki.

"Can't I have some comfort on this expedition?"

"Spoiled princess."

"With Rotom, I won't be a soiled princess."

"Excuse me. What's going on in there?" asked Hugh.

"We're doing laundry," I replied.

"Huh?" asked the black belt as he peeked around the corner.

"Hugh before you move another inch let me explain a few things: Doing laundry means we are washing our clothes. Since we are using a washing machine, the most efficient thing to do is wash all our clothes at once. The result is that we are not wearing any clothes at the moment. Now if you don't want to risk me screaming and tying you up, again, stay out."

"Yes, ma'am."

"We'll let you guys use the washing machine after breakfast."

"If Rotom possesses a washing machine, won't it forget Pain Split?" asked Yuki.

"That's why I have a video camera, so Rotom can recall other attacks."

"Clever. Too bad you didn't pack a hot tub; that would have felt great after sleeping on the lumpy cave floor."

"Too big and bulky," I replied.

"They make collapsible rubber ones," argued Yuki.

"Making a note of that now*," I replied.

When Rotom finished with the wash, I sent him outside in the garden light. Tonya returned.

"Next time you exercise, please don't do it on your bed roll," commented Yuki.

"Unless you're trying to drive your man wild with your pheromones, then it's better to do it in his bed," I added.

"Sabrina…," growled Yuki.

"You missed your chance to have Hugh, now let Tonya have a turn," I replied.

"Hugh?" asked Yuki as she folded her clean clothes.

Tonya blushed.

"We've got a strap on in the bag if you want to spar later," I offered.

"What's that?" asked Tonya.

"Don't," demanded Yuki. "Just don't."

"Never mind," I replied in defeat.

"How did you get everything clean?" asked Tonya.

"Rotom," I replied and the plasma Pokemon appeared from the cavern roof. "How was breakfast?"

"Rot!" cheered the little one.

"Are you ready for another load?"

"Tom," agreed the Pokemon.

I recalled Rotom to its Pokeball, switched the capsules and released Rotom in the washing machine. The four of us went to the main cavern for breakfast. During breakfast Rotom helped the men wash their clothes. Afterwards we returned to the ice cave. I took my position, prepared for Force Palm and stuck the ice wall.

Nothing happened.

I opened all my senses and searched for a weak point in the ice. I noticed a nearby fault where the internal stresses changed. I focused my strength to my palm and struck. A slab of ice, half my size, calved off and landed on my foot.

"Damn it. Damn it. Damn it." I mentally fumed.

"You should put some ice on it," Yuki mentally joked.

"I'll just have to try again." I searched the ice wall closest to Lucario. As I hoped there were weak points. I struck the ice so hard that my hand hurt. I wisely jumped aside before a Hugh sized hunk of ice slumped to the floor. I searched the ice while I waited for my hand to stop throbbing.

"I think we have a new problem," I announced.

"Your hand is broken?" asked Kiyo.

"No. I've knocked off regular ice, but as I go deeper I'm hitting ghost ice."

"And ghost ice is resistant to fighting moves," concluded Kiyo.

"Essentially, yes. Ghosts live in two dimensions at the same time. They avoid fighting and normal attacks because they are physically not there. Anyone who's been licked by a ghost will remember the chill, this is the result of the ghost shunting your body heat to the other dimension. My physical abilities are not strong enough to break the ice because Froslass is shunting the damage to the other dimension."

"Could Hariyama?" asked Hugh.

"He is stronger than me, but he needs to level up and learn Force Palm. Tonya, could you and Primeape spar with Hariyama?" I asked.

"Um, okay."

"And do it outside so you don't wake the Golbats."

"Yes Mistress Sabrina," replied Hugh as he walked out.

"Finally," sighed Kiyo.

"What Master?" asked Ray.

"Never mind. Is this as far as you go Sabrina?"

"How can I win back your clan's loyalty with a few Force Palms? I believe that I have to do something a little better than that."

"What do you think will impress me?"

"Aura Sphere," I replied.

"That would be impressive," agreed Kiyo. "But I know very little about it, so I can't help you train."

"Then I better call my gardener," I replied. I linked my mind to Rotom's and teleported to the surface. I placed a call to Myusan's bonsai consulting service, "This is Sabrina and I need consultation on Aura Sphere."

"Why?" replied the most powerful psychic in the world.

"I'm trying to free a Lucario and a Froslass that are trapped in ice."

"Why are your own abilities not up to the task?"

"I'm trying to impress Master Kiyo," I answered.

"So two Pokemon are trapped and rescuing them is reduced to a sport," concluded Mewtwo.

"…" I was going to protest, but I couldn't. "I was being foolish, wasn't I? When we see each other again, we can discuss your fee."

"Free the trapped Pokemon: that is all I require."

I teleported back into the ice cave.

"Have you learned Aura Sphere already?" asked Kiyo.

"I've learned that freeing the Pokemon is more important than impressing others. Kadabra, Golduck, Espeon come out. We are going to free Lucario from the ice. Rotom and I will attack the ice with Shadow Ball and my psychic powers. When Lucario is free, he'll need to be revived from the cold; Ray, be ready with Hitmonchan's Fire Punch. Any pieces of ice that break off should be removed from the chamber to weaken Froslass. When Lucario is free, Froslass may attack directly. Yuki?"

"We'll help," replied Yuki.

"Then let's get started." I placed my hand on the wall of ice. My mind flashed back to the family mansion that I destroyed. I tested every weak point, poked every strain and wedged every fracture. Rotom launched a Shadow Ball against the ice. I could sense Froslass' shunt network overload. I scattered ice behind me as I dug my way to Lucario.

The ice hissed and shrieked as it conveyed Froslass' anger. The air around me got colder. The ice stung where it touched me.

I rubbed my hands together as I called up all my strength. "So you were a witch's Pokemon. I'm no witch, and I'm not an Aura Guardian. I am Sabrina the Psychic, future Daimyo of Saffron City, Lady of Marsh Castle, mistress of Psychic and Ghost Pokemon. I won't be done in by a one trick Pokemon."

I willed a tunnel to be opened between me a Lucario, and it was. The ice between us poured forth as so many ice cubes. Hitmonchan quickly dashed in, grabbed Lucario and dashed out again.

"Froslass," growled the ice.

I directed Rotom's Shadow Ball towards Froslass.

"You are going to be rescued as well. Whether you like it or not," I growled.

Yuki's Solrock and Lunatone took positions between Froslass and Lucario. "Your battle with Lucario is over. Your masters' are long gone," I stated.

"Frossss," hissed the Pokemon as the room got colder.

I recalled Rotom, Kadabra and Golduck to their Pokeballs. Espeon took her position besides me. "I said that I wouldn't be done in by that trick." Espeon used her Future Sight attack.

"Sabrina?" asked Yuki.

"Sheer Cold," I explained. "Somehow Froslass learned that attack and trapped Lucario. But Sheer Cold doesn't work on Pokemon stronger than you. Have you forgotten all your other attacks over the years?"

Froslass launched her Ice Shards, which bounced harmlessly off Espeon's Protect. "That's better. So you do remember something." Espeon and I both attacked with Psychic. Froslass retreated into the largest block of ice. Espeon attacked the ice with her Psychic. The ice exploded into hail stones that swirled about the room.

I switched ball capsules on Rotom. When released from the Pokeball, Rotom possessed the space heater. "Heat Wave," I ordered. The temperature in the cavern jumped to ninety degrees. Froslass tried to chill the melting hail, but I ordered, "Shock Wave." The electric attack struck the ice Pokemon as Espeon's Future Sight struck as well. Before she could hit the floor, I threw a Dusk Ball at Froslass. She couldn't resist.

"How's Lucario?" I asked as I collect the new Pokemon.

"He's coming around, but…" replied Kiyo.

"Understood," I replied. I knelt down. "Espeon, find the path to the Pokemon Center in Mossdeep."

Espeon concentrated then nodded.

Yuki recalled her Pokemon and stood close.

"See you soon," I winked to Kiyo before we teleported with Lucario. Once in the lobby of the Pokemon Center I projected to Nurse Joy and Chansey, "Lucario has just been removed from solid ice. Trapped and frozen for possibly years. He needs immediate diagnosis and treatment. I also have a Froslass that needs treatment."

Nurse Joy and Chansey rushed out with a stretcher then raced Lucario to the emergency room. Another Nurse Joy met me in the lobby. (Where else would twin sister Nurse Joys serve?) "What happened?" she asked.

"According to legends, Lucario and Froslass battled and trapped each other in a massive block of ice in Shoal Cave. We freed them. I battled Froslass and captured her in this Pokeball," I explained as I handed over the ball for examination.

Nurse Joy took the Pokeball and placed in the treatment machine. "Exhaustion, dehydration and some minor injuries," she listed. "A good nutrition injection and a night's rest should fix that."

"Could you treat the other Pokemon as well?" asked Yuki as she handed over her Pokeballs. Nurse Joy took them with a smile.

When I offered her my other Pokeballs she looked at my hands in horror. "What happened to you?" asked Nurse Joy as she examined my hands.

"I battled Froslass," I replied.

"On your own?"

"No, it was a team effort," I replied.

"Well you need to get to the hospital, now," ordered the Nurse. She put the Pokeballs in the machine and raced to the phone.

I was about to argue, but Nurse Joy scolded, "You have an acute case of frostbite with possible internal damage to your hands." She relayed that information to the phone. Soon, I was at the hospital with their first case of frostbite in five years.

I let the medics race about and do their job, while I communicated telepathically with Yuki as she waited in the other room. "It's just about mission accomplished."

"Do you think that Kiyo was impressed?" asked Yuki.

"That wasn't important in the end. It was important to show that we each have a role to play."

"So as the Daimyos of the past, you made protecting the Pokemon a priority over your own skin. Ouch, sorry, bad choice of words."

"I can't feel anything there," I replied. "They got my hands shot up with drugs and bandaged like a Dusclops. Now they want to keep me here overnight."

"Good. That'll keep you out of trouble for a while," teased Yuki.

"No it won't and you know that. Who's going to feed me and give me a sponge bath?"

"I don't know; who?"

"Maybe a sexy young nurse that is good with their hands," I pondered.

"Or an old nurse with combat experience who's seen, and done, it all, that will scrub you down and feed you with all the passion you'd give a Miltank," mused Yuki.

It turned out that Yuki was right; damn.

"Since you found someone new, I'll just go home to my parents," mocked Yuki.

"This is so unfair," I mentally replied. "Could you at least bring my Pokemon when they're done at the Pokemon center?"

"Don't worry; I'll even check up on Lucario."

"Lucario will be fine; it's Froslass that I'm concerned about."

"I'll look in on them after I finish dinner."

"Dinner?" Through Yuki's mind I could smell and taste freshly cooked rice, smoked fish and fresh mushrooms. "Where are you eating?"

"At home. Isn't my mom a wonderful cook?"

"You're home? Is there something about Mossdeep that boosts psychic transmissions?"

"Probably," replied Yuki. "People have researched it for years, but still can't come up with a solid reason."

The phone rang. When I realized that it was the phone in the room, and not my Poketch, I grabbed the receiver with my bandaged hand. The receiver fell from my numb and bandaged hands. Telekinetically I answered the phone, "Hello?"

Master Kiyo replied, "This is Kiyo. How are you doing?"

"I've got frostbite on my hands, but I'll recover. Where are you?"

"I'm at the Pokemon Center. Lucario is recovering as well."

"Good. Tell both Nurse Joys that Froslass is not to be let out of her Pokeball. Froslass is too wild and dangerous; she'll probably attack Lucario at the first opportunity."

"Understood."

"I hate to cut this conversation short, but the pain killers are catching up to me. Good night." I gave up after two attempts at hanging up the phone, and fell asleep. I woke after midnight. The collective dreams and nightmares of the hospital ruined my sleep.

I called for the nurse, and got Sgt. Olga, "Yes?"

"I'm checking out," I replied flatly.

"No you're not. You have serious injuries to your hands and it's the middle of the night, where will you go?"

"I'm probably the strongest human psychic in the world, and this island is boosting my abilities. As a result I can't shut off the dreams and nightmares of everyone else in this building. I have just experienced child birth four times, had a broken arm set six times and passed three kidney stones through an organ I know that I don't have. I'm telling you that I'm checking out as a courtesy. Good night." With that said, I teleported to Espeon's location which was in a basket on a bicycle.

I found myself on the handlebars of a bicycle, wedged between Yuki and Espeon.

"Sabrina?!" exclaimed Yuki before she lost control of the bike. Fortunately Espeon encased us in her Protect, so we bounced twice before stopping in the bushes along the roadside.

"I checked out," I replied. "Can I stay at your place?"

"But your injuries…"

"Are nothing compared to all the other injuries that I experienced."

"The nurse couldn't be that bad," argued Yuki.

"Not the nurse. All the other patients' thoughts were invading my own. I now know what it feels like for a man to pass a kidney stone," I shuddered.

"If you checked out, where are your clothes?"

"I left in a hurry. Please?"

"Fine, but how are we going to get you back to my parents house? Are you going to ride on the bike with your gown blowing in the breeze?"

"I can walk," I offered. Yuki pushed her bike as she led the way back to her home. "Is this the road you biked naked on when you were little?" I asked.

"I didn't make it this far on my tricycle," laughed Yuki. "Mom caught me before I left my own neighborhood.

"I saw Master Kiyo at the Pokemon Center. He was impressed that you learned Force Palm in a day; you didn't have to add Aura Sphere. I think that he wants to train with Lucario," added Yuki.

The Dusk Ball in the basket hissed.

"Yuki, would you help me with the belt?" Yuki put my belt of Pokeballs on me, and looped the Synchball necklace over my head. I felt Kadabra's Recover working on my hands. To the Dusk Ball that held Froslass I said, "Hush. I'm your mistress now." To Yuki I mentally projected, "Don't mention you-know-who."

When a group of fishermen approached, Yuki said, "Please don't do anything to embarrass me."

"I'm the one bearing her ass in this hospital gown," I growled.

"Hi Yuki, long time no see. Who's your friend?"

"Jonah? It is you," replied Yuki. "This is my friend Sabrina. She…"

"Escaped from the hospital," I finished.

"Without your clothes?"

"It was my first attempt," I shrugged.

"Are you heading back to your folks?" asked Jonah. "I could walk you back."

"Us too," offered the other fishermen.

"Only if you walk in front," demanded Yuki.

"Same old Yuki: giving orders," replied Jonah. "You guys go on home."

The other two waved and walked past then Jonah walked in front with Yuki and talked about the good old days. Whenever the conversation touched upon what Yuki was doing now, she changed the subject to avoid discussing what her brother may be doing.

When we reached Yuki's house, Jonah offered, "My boat will be in port for a few days while the crew rests. We should get together for lunch and catch up."

"Well, I…"

"Don't worry about me," I insisted. "As long as I'm not in the hospital and I have my Pokemon, I'll be fine."

"Then tomorrow it is," replied Jonah. He waved good bye and walked off with a spring in his step.

"Why did you do that?" asked Yuki.

"Because he's been in love with you for a long time and needs to know how you feel."

"That's not funny."

"I wasn't joking. Years ago he fell in love with the tough tomboy that ruled the neighborhood kids. He hasn't found anyone since that measured up to you. But he is confused with the Yuki of old, and the Yuki portrayed by your brother on the Pokemon Contest circuit. Don't look at me like that; I can't help but read what he was broadcasting."

"I knew coming here was a bad idea," groaned Yuki.

"We could leave tonight," I offered. "We could be in Saffron City for lunch tomorrow."

"That is so tempting right now," sighed Yuki who then shook her head. "You and the Pokemon need your rest. Jonah needs to be let down easy. Judging by the sweat coming off your brow, you need pain killers."

"Side effect of Kadabra's Recover is that the pain killers don't last. I was probably due for a booster shot about now. I am not going back."

Yuki's parents were already asleep, so we snuck in and 'slept' in Yuki's bed. Yuki tried to sleep, but was restless about the next day's possible events and confessions. I spent the night in a healing trance as I concentrated on fixing my hands. My only interruptions were Yuki's sighs and Froslass' hisses, then the smell of bacon, eggs and rice.

I left Yuki, who at last was snoring, and followed my nose. "Good morning. That smells wonderful."

"Good morning Sabrina," replied Mrs. Cellars. "Dear, where are your clothes?"

I realized that I was still in a hospital gown. "Sorry about that," I replied as I shuffled backwards to Yuki's room. I telekinetically took a yukata from Yuki's closet and dressed myself. I shuffled back to the main room for breakfast.

"Do you need help eating?" asked Mrs. Cellars as she noticed my bandages.

"I can manage thank you." I cracked open a soft boiled egg and poured it on a bowl of rice, mixed and lifted off a small ball of food, all with my telekinesis.

"You are very adept with telekinesis," remarked Mrs. Cellars.

"Thank you. I've been practicing since I was three. My mother felt better if I played with my food, than bending all of her good spoons."

"Yuki and Yuri never showed any telekinesis. I suppose as twins they felt an incentive to develop their telepathy."

"Probably safer and cheaper that way," I replied in between bites. "Telekinetics tend to break a lot of things as they develop."

"Such as…"

"The whole house."

"No."

"A fifty room mansion reduced to a pile of rubble. Nobody got hurt. My grandmother was actually pleased with my level of ability. Sorry."

"For what?"

"Saying the word, 'grandmother'."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Sometimes I wish I had a T-shirt that said, 'Because I'm psychic,' so I wouldn't have to explain myself," I half laughed.

"My husband and I love our children and want them to be happy. If neither chooses to have children, then that's their decision."

"I don't know if Yuki doesn't want children, as much as she wants to be her own person and a psychic," I offered.

"She always did play the role of her brother's keeper," admitted Mrs. Cellars. "We always suspected something was going on, but we didn't want to interfere."

"I'm sorry, but I felt like I had to," I replied. "Yuki is too important to me as a friend and an employee for me to be idle. She has so much potential that I can't let her waste it."

"I'm not mad at all. In fact I'm happy that someone could reach Yuki and help her become her own person. She really looks up to you."

"Now that she's gotten to know me, I'm afraid that I come up short."

"I can't imagine that. Those bandages are proof of that."

"But she'll scold me for doing it," I chuckled.

"It just means that she cares," smiled Mrs. Cellars. She topped up my tea and asked, "What are your plans now?"

"I haven't been to Hoenn in years, and then it was for business. I think I'd like to be a tourist and catch a few Pokemon."

"And your hands?"

"They hurt, but they're healing."

"The gym?"

"Our new employee made more progress in one day than the rest of us did in five years. Besides I need some time with this new Pokemon before I can let her loose in the big city."

Yuki yawned, "Morning," as she shuffled to the table.

"There is one thing that never changed," laughed Mrs. Cellars as she filled Yuki's rice bowl. "How many years did I have to drag her out of bed to get her to school on time?"

I laughed, "Now I have to drag her out of bed to get her to school on time."

"Jean is worse than me," mumbled Yuki. "We could offer night classes."

"For nocturnal Pokemon trainers like yourself? If your first class was a four in the afternoon, you'd still hit the snooze alarm at three," I observed.

"Did you get any sleep?" asked Yuki.

I shook my head. "I had to keep this and Froslass under control, so I meditated instead. After breakfast, I'm going back to the Pokemon Center and look in on the other patient and Master Kiyo. And you have a lunch appointment with Jonah."

"Really?" asked Mrs. Cellars.

"He met us last night as I brought back Sabrina."

"He really didn't see the best side of me," I joked.

Yuki didn't laugh.

I finished breakfast, got dressed and did my other morning rituals. As I set off for the Pokemon Center, Yuki said, "Don't forget to go to the hospital and get your other clothes, and a check up."

I waved a bandaged hand as I walked off into the sea breezed morning. As I walked I passed the morning, open air market that was full of people. I soaked up the smells, sights and thoughts of all the activity. I purchased some smoked fish and rice balls, but found the money exchange difficult with the bandages.

Soon, I approached the Pokemon Center. Master Kiyo and Lucario were exercising outside. "Good morning," I called out.

When Lucario and Kiyo returned my greeting, Froslass came out of her Pokeball and hissed a challenge. I teleported in front of her and glared at her with my angry eyes. "Until you learn to behave yourself, you will stay in your Pokeball. Do I make myself clear?"

"Fros lass," she hissed.

"I don't care about that. Your fight with Lucario ended years ago. I don't care if you don't get along, but you will behave."

"Lass," she hissed as she returned to the Pokeball.

"You have your hands full, in so many ways," remarked Kiyo.

I offered one sack that was tied to my bandaged hand and said, "If you take these snacks I bought for you, I'll have one less thing to deal with."

"Yuki told me about the frostbite. Are you going to recover?"

"Of course. I've got a Kadabra using his Recover to speed the healing process. It hurts like hell, but I'm healing. How's our other patient?"

Lucario grinned.

"Physically he's fine," reported Kiyo, "but after years of using Force Palm, he's a little rusty with his other attacks."

"Ha, ha," I replied.

Lucario also let out a little guffaw.

"What?" asked Kiyo.

"A steel type Pokemon is a little rusty. You said that I didn't have a funny bone," I chided.

"Oops. I guess I've had a lot on my mind. I will return to the dojo, but I'd like to take the long way back. This way I can introduce Lucario to our century."

"I'll do the same with Froslass. Maybe when we work together in Saffron City, these two won't fight."

Master Kiyo bowed as he said, "If we can get along, I feel that anyone could."

"Laaassss," hissed my Pokeball.

"If you still want to learn about Aura Sphere, I've marked on this map a possible trainer. You can catch a ferry from Slateport and be there in a day," offered Kiyo as he handed me a paper map.

"Thank you."

Kiyo and Lucario waved goodbye and walked toward the port. I went into the Pokemon Center and called Grandma Agatha.

"Good morning Sabrina-chan, how are you?" she greeted.

I waved my bandaged hands to the camera and said, "I got some frostbite when I battled a Froslass, but I did make the catch."

"A Froslass in Hoenn?"

"Legend has it that the Froslass was a partner to a witch. But the Froslass battled a Lucario and trapped each other in a wall of ice."

"Did the Lucario belong to an Aura Guardian?"

"Yes. Did you know the legend?"

"Yes. Sabrina, did you also find evidence of the Lucario?"

"We freed him and sent him back to Saffron City with Master Kiyo."

"You are in Mossdeep, correct?"

"Yes."

To someone off screen, Grandma Agatha asked, "How soon can we be in Mossdeep?"

"In three or four hours," replied Grandma Lilith.

"Sabrina, stay in Mossdeep. We'll be there as soon as we can."

"You have my Poketch address, send me a message when you land," I replied.

The videophone went black.

"You sure cause a lot of trouble," I commented to Froslass.

Her Pokeball creaked like an ice cube.

Espeon left her Pokeball and growled at Froslass' ball.

My Poketch beeped with an incoming message from Grandma Lilith, "STAY AWAKE! STAY WARM!"

"Stay awake and stay warm," I relayed to Espeon then I texted the reply, "Why?"

"Froslass is very dangerous," returned Grandma Lilith.

A stab of pain through my hands punctuated my grandmother's message.

I called home and Gardevoir answered the videophone, "Gardevoir?"

"I need Gengar here to help control a dangerous ghost," I replied.

"Geng?" asked the Pokemon.

"I need you here now," I winced.

Gengar tossed his own ball into the exchanger and sent himself through the system. He popped out of the ball and studied the Dusk Ball that held Froslass.

"Gardevoir?" offered the other Pokemon back home.

"She's a dangerous ghost, no sense getting more psychics involved."

Gardevoir pointed out that all of my Pokemon were ghosts or psychics.

"Except Golduck," I replied. I fumbled with Golduck's Pokeball until she came out. "Golduck, I need you to use your Disable on Froslass. Stop her from attacking my hands."

"Duck," replied the water type. She concentrated on the icy Pokeball and my hands felt better.

"Is everything okay?" asked a Nurse Joy.

"Not really," I replied. "The Froslass that I captured is trying to destroy my hands with frostbite. My Golduck and Gengar will keep her contained for now and I have a ghost Pokemon expert coming in by private jet."

"I'll ask Officer Jenny to give her a police escort to the Pokemon Center, unless you wish to go to the hospital?"

"No, the hospital isn't designed to contain something like Froslass, or myself."

"Contain?"

"This may result in an all out battle between me and Froslass. I think that you should find me a safe place to fight, or evacuate the Pokemon Center." I added my strength to Espeon's as we held Froslass in the Pokeball. "You'll have to evacuate, we need to concentrate on keeping her contained. Also, place a call to the Saffron City Gym."

Nurse Joy placed the call for me then ran off to inform her twin sister.

"Milady?" asked Ivan Geller.

"I need to exchange Poliwag for Alakazam. Hurry."

Ivan dashed off then returned to say, "Ready."

We made the exchange. I thanked him, and shut off the videophone. I released both Alakazam and Rotom. "Here's the situation. In this Dusk Ball, we have a very angry and dangerous Froslass. Rotom, I need you to keep me warm. Alakazam, I need you to help Kadabra reverse the damage she's done to my hands. Gengar and Golduck: keep her attacks blocked. Espeon will help me keep Froslass in the Pokeball. Grandmas Lilith and Agatha will be here in a few hours."

As I pulled off the bandages, Nurse Joy entered the room and announced, "The Pokemon Center has been evacuated. Do you need blankets?"

"No, this Froslass is a little too clever for that. She attacks the body parts that are bundled against the cold and tricks you into thinking that you're warm."

"What do you need?"

"A volcano," I replied. "Since that's a little far away, please make a call to the Cellars' residence and ask for Yuki. Also contact the local gym leaders, I may need relief psychics if the flight is delayed or Froslass gets stronger."

As quickly as Nurse Joy left she returned and transferred a video phone call. It was grandmas Lilith and Agatha. "We're in the plane and flying as fast as we can," announced Lilith.

"Froslass has turned on me," I reported. "The seven of us have her contained. I've put out calls for Yuki and the local gym leaders Liza and Tate to help with the containment until you get here with a better plan. Do you have a better plan?"

"I've put in a call to Phoebe of the Hoenn Elite Four," announced Agatha.

"We need a long term solution," I pointed out.

"I have one," replied Agatha, "But I need to do it in person. I also put in a call to Sidney, the Dark type trainer."

"If you want to knock out Froslass, I've got enough firepower to do that," I insisted.

"If my first idea doesn't work, we may have to banish Froslass to the other dimension," insisted Agatha.

"I already rescued this Pokemon once from herself. I don't mind doing it again," I replied.

"Froslass lass," hissed the Pokeball mockingly.

"That's right; I called you a one-trick-Pokemon. Here's a trick: Feel the pain that you caused my hands."

"Lass," she replied menacingly.

"We freed you from your icy prison and this is the gratitude you show."

Froslass hissed some more.

"Following orders? That has always been a lame excuse. Don't bother trying to provoke me; you're staying in that Pokeball for your own protection."

"?" she hissed.

"Protection from me, that's who."

Froslass laughed/hissed.

"Don't provoke her," insisted Agatha.

"You heard my grandmother: don't provoke me. She's an expert on ghost Pokemon and she knows that I won't back down." I reached towards the levitating Pokeball with my damaged hands. I combined the Force Palm with the unearthly pain in my fingers and sent it into the Pokeball.

"That's not what I meant Sabrina," insisted Agatha.

I reached through the dimension and stabbed at Froslass with all the pain she inflicted.

"Froslass?"

"Just because I call Grandma Agatha an expert on ghost Pokemon, that doesn't mean I'm ignorant. I know all about this other dimension that you live in."

"LASS, Froslass," she hissed like a blizzard from hell.

"I'm your target? You are either delusional or very ungrateful."

"I am loyal to my missstress." She replied. "Our tarrrget isss the Daimyo of Sssafron Ssssity."

"And I removed the Aura Guardian that prevented you from completing your mission."

"Thank you," she mocked. "Thank you also for coming to my home. I'm not very good at accepting guestsss."

"No need to show me around, I've been here before."

"Lies."

"I don't lie to Pokemon. Your old mistress is gone and your mission has long since failed. This is a new era. I've beaten you once in my world. I will beat you here and prove that I am you new mistress."

"Imposssible."

I floated my astral form toward Froslass. "You gave me the means of your defeat," I replied before I hit her with a Shadow Punch.

Froslass countered with the Ominous Wind. I struck the oncoming wave with another Shadow Punch from my left hand; I struck Froslass with my right.

Froslass tried to summon a hailstorm, but this dimension denied her the moisture.

I struck again. "You've been away for a long time. I was here last week." I punched again. "Your mind is stuck in that little ice cave, locked in a useless struggle against Lucario." I punched again. "You need to wake up and return to the world." I punched again and felt her icy form go limp.

"Finish me," insisted Froslass.

"No. You were finished centuries ago. I want you to start again."

"Why?"

"Because second chances are so rare, that I hate to see anyone waste them."

"My mission is to destroy you."

I replied, "As Daimyo, my mission is to ensure the rights of humans and Pokemon. You have a right to live and grow."

"My mission…"

"Your mission is over," insisted Agatha. She was accompanied by a brooding Dusknoir.

Froslass looked from Dusknoir to Agatha and asked, "Who are you?"

"I am Agatha. Your former mistress was my ancestor."

"Lies! More lies," hissed Froslass.

"Dusknoir proves that I'm not lying."

Dusknoir's eye glowed as it replayed the past two hundred years to Froslass.

"No. I wasn't abandoned by my mistress," insisted Froslass.

"Sabrina is your mistress now," replied Agatha. "As my granddaughter she is the rightful heir of the Shadow Throne."

"But she is the Daimyo of Saffron City. My mission…"

"The Saffron Throne joined the Shadow Throne many years ago. Our two clans are one," explained Agatha.

"I'm sorry mistress," sulked Froslass.

"Froslass, your dedication to your mission and resourcefulness inspires me. I would be honored to call you my Pokemon and train with you," I said.

"Then let's go back," announced Agatha as Dusknoir took us back to the normal world.

In the normal world, Grandma Lilith and Yuki were waiting for us, while Grandma Agatha's body creaked. "The damn thing about astral projection is coming back to your own body," commented Agatha.

"Is everything all right?" asked the twin Nurse Joys as they wore ski outfits.

"We should have a batch of tired, but behaved, Pokemon," explained Agatha.

"Except Gengar," I offered.

"And your hands?" asked Yuki.

I looked at my hands and latent ghost energy arced across them. "This will take some time to work out."

The Nurse Joys took the Pokemon for treatment. Grandma Agatha recalled Dusknoir, called Phoebe and Sidney to thank them and say that everything was fine. Once the buzz of activity in the Pokemon Center quieted, I asked both Grandmothers to talk to me in private.

"Can I conclude that sometime in the past, one of you was my Grandfather?"

"For about an hour or two," replied Lilith.

"The Induction Ritual?" I asked.

Lilith nodded.

"Does my father know?"

"We never told him," replied Agatha.

"Does it bother you?" asked Lilith.

"It bothered me that I called Agatha grandmother, when I didn't know she really was. Now, I have something to look forward to."

"Are you and Yuki that serious?" asked Lilith.

"I think so. Don't worry about your secret, I learned about the Induction Ritual from Samantha."

"Now that I am officially your Grandmother, what were you thinking? I told you not to provoke Froslass," insisted Grandma Agatha.

"I thought you told her not to provoke me," I replied.

"You willful, short tempered, spoiled princess: you get this from her side of the family," insisted Agatha.

I laughed. "All the years that you said that and I never got the joke."

"Agatha is right dear: Froslass was dangerous," added Lilith.

"I knew that. Right up to the moment I had her beaten down in the other dimension she was defiant. She was going to use Destiny Bond to trap me there, but she didn't understand this century and that we don't battle like that anymore."

"Clever; she gets that from my side of the family," boasted Agatha.

We all laughed at Grandma Agatha's other standing joke.

Author's note: The black belt Hugh is based on the black belt from FireRed that always complained about what you wore. So from One Island to standing outside a cave near Mossdeep, some things never change.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Lemon Warning: If you don't know what a lemon is or you know you're not supposed to read it, then don't. Really, if you're under 18, go read something else. Also contains mild use of alcohol.

Legacy

Part Six

The Price of a Legacy

I woke in Yuki's bed. Grandmas Lilith and Agatha left for Kanto the night before. A quick visit to the hospital yesterday informed me that my hands were healing from the frostbite. I could smell that Yuki's mother had breakfast ready, so I got up and dressed. Yuki just snored as I shuffled off to eat.

"Good morning," greeted Mrs. Cellars.

"Good morning," I replied. I took the teacup with my bare hands and regretted it. Mrs. Cellars clearly saw the pain on my face.

"Maybe you should visit the hot springs in Lavaridge Town," offered Yuki's mom.

"I guess it is the tourist thing to do." I mentally requested from my Poketch a search for Lavaridge Town and psychic Pokemon. "Maybe I can catch a Spoink in that area," I mused out loud.

"That sounds like gym business," suggested Mrs. Cellars.

"I never did a Pokemon journey when I was young. I spent my time training at home and at the gym. Because my gym responsibilities keep me busy, I need to make the most of my time when I get away."

"Does gym business take up that much of your time?"

I ate with my telekinesis. "No, thanks to Yuki and others I have time for other interests. I started a company to market the security and defense aspects of psychic abilities."

The word "Weapons," flashed through Mrs. Cellars' mind.

"No. I market shielding from psychic abilities."

"To keep you out?"

"To a certain degree, yes. I evaluate projects on how well they could keep me out. Some people want to detect simple mind reading and telekinesis, such as casinos. Some customers are so paranoid, they want to protect against everything and everyone to the point that I can't talk about them. Sorry that it doesn't make for much conversation."

"Yuki hinted that you had 'issues'. Is making a company to protect against you the issue?"

I laughed a bit while trying to keep my breakfast from flying. "Oh if it were that simple; my biggest issue was that I viewed non-psychic humans as cattle. There was some paranoia mixed in there too. The psychic shielding designs started from trying to help a little boy who was mentally destroying himself because of his sister's hate. When I was young my psychic abilities were mostly telekinetic. Since I was an only child, I didn't have anyone that I wanted to communicate with. Yuki and her brother on the other hand developed their telepathy as did the gym leaders on this island. Mossdeep has enough open space that young psychics can get away from the thoughts of others and focus only on their friends. The young boy I mentioned couldn't get away from his own sister and he couldn't tune her out. The only way he found to shut out his sister's thoughts was to shut of his own mind: psychic suicide."

"Hugh," thought Mrs. Cellars.

I nodded. "The security company was just a means to recoup the investments that I made to help Hugh and other children like him."

Her next question, "Do you want children?" caught me off guard.

After I choked down my rice, "I have only recently thought about it. I have been focused on training since I was three."

"You mean you didn't pretend with dolls and friends?"

"I didn't have any friends except Pokemon. I did have dolls. Unfortunately I also turned people into dolls."

"?"

"I could shrink people to three inches high and put them in my doll houses. I could even turn them into plush."

"Could?"

"I gave that up a long time ago. Let's just put that in the 'issues' file."

"Done," she replied as she offered me more rice. "Is there such a thing as an ordinary psychic?"

"You mean without the issues? Sure. My lawyer is a former student of the gym. There is a noodle chef in Saffron City that is also a former student. Mossdeep is full of 'ordinary' psychics. Telepathy is almost taken from granted here. Telekinesis stands out a bit."

"Thinking of moving and settling down?"

"I couldn't leave my Saffron City for long. Yes I did say, 'my'. I may not be the Daimyo, and the Daimyo may not have any real authority, but I can't give up on my family's legacy. I guess that legacy 'issue' is going to drive me to have children. You may get your grandchildren yet," I mentioned with a wink that caused her to choke on her food.

I finished my breakfast and returned to Yuki's room; she was still asleep. I telekinetically dressed her in my Yukata and floated her out for breakfast. After I had our packsacks ready I went out and found Yuki eating her breakfast in her sleep.

"She never did this before," explained her mother.

"The more psychics train, and train with their Pokemon, they can develop Pokemon style techniques. Yuki basically learned Sleep Talk."

"Because you never sleep," muttered Yuki.

"See, she can even carry on a simple conversation in this mode."

"Remarkable."

"Did you hear that? Your _mother_ said you are remarkable," I projected directly into Yuki's mind.

Yuki snapped her head up and said, "Mom?! What are you doing here?"

"This is my house and I'm serving breakfast to my daughter who overslept, again. I don't know if I could have managed if you knew Sleep Talk when you were younger."

"Buy her a rubber mattress and use a bucket of cold water," I offered. "If you change when and how you woke her up she may have developed Future Sight as well." I stared through Yuki as I pondered that idea.

"Please, no," muttered Yuki. "You have dropped me in the pool. You have teleported me naked to the gym."

"Oh dear," gasped Yuki's mom. Yuki was feeling comforted by her mother's protection. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"Mom?!" whined Yuki.

"Your father could have dropped you off at school in your pajamas as he went off to work."

"From the stories I heard, I find it hard to believe that Yuki wore pajamas," I mused.

"She would wear clothes in the house, but would play outside naked," recalled Mrs. Cellars. "That's why I wonder if there is such a thing as a normal psychic."

"There is the Girafarig, but it has two heads," I observed.

"If you had children, would they be normal?"

"If I wanted normal children, I'd adopt," I claimed. "Besides I think that my parents secretly wish that my children cause me as much grief as I did."

"Is that why you want grandchildren: for revenge?" asked Yuki.

Mrs. Cellars had a pained look on her face and said, "Just a little bit."

Yuki planted her face on the table. Instead of whining, Yuki started to snore.

"She did do that when she was young. If she didn't like what she heard, she would just shut down," recalled Yuki's mom.

I levitated Yuki off the floor. "Then I'll get her dressed and we can leave."

"Do you have to go so soon?"

"After years of dedication to my gym, I find myself taking a lot of trips recently," I admitted. "I would like to play tourist for a bit in Hoenn, before returning to work."

"You're welcome to come back anytime," offered Mrs. Cellars.

"If your husband had any free time, you could visit us in Saffron City," I replied.

Once Yuki was in her room and undressed, she woke and got dressed. We put on our packs, said our goodbyes to Yuki's mom and left.

We took one of many routes down to the harbor. We walked along the pier and looked over the charter boats. "How much for a trip to Sootopolis City?" I asked a captain.

"50000," he replied.

"How much if I spend the whole trip sun bathing in a very skimpy bikini?"

"Huh?" asked Yuki and the captain.

I put my bandaged hands behind me, puffed out my chest and gave a slight smile.

"48000," offered the captain.

"47000," offered the captain of the next boat over as a matter of spite.

A younger captain, to score and get paid, bid 45000.

"Men are bidding down for four hours with you?" mused Yuki.

I telekinetically tightened the pullover that I wore.

The first captain offered 44000.

The second captain, who was older than my father, bid 40000. A peek into his mind showed that he did it more to torment the others than to stimulate himself.

Another young captain, with obvious intent, hurried over and bid 39000.

"How much lower would they go if they knew I didn't have a swimsuit?" I pondered.

"Sabrina…," fumed Yuki in her mind.

"Yuki, could you please put sun block on me?" I thought with a dash of saccharine.

"This is getting bizarre," whispered Yuki at the auction.

"35000 with lunch."

"34500 with snorkeling lessons."

"35000 and access to my best fishing spots."

"Old man McKinsey's fishing spots are legendary," thought Yuki.

"?"

"On Mossdeep they are," mentally added Yuki.

"Wait for it…," I whispered as I spied a late comer to the auction. The young man asked someone in the crowd then shouted, "36,000!"

"Sold!" I shouted before anyone could correct him.

Old man McKinsey laughed so hard he cried.

"Like I'd go out with the lowest bidder," I chided Yuki as she stood with her mouth agape, as did much of the crowd.

We followed the young Captain Jules to his boat. It was his father's boat, but Jules paid him rent. It was smaller than the other charter boats, but big enough for us and the Pokemon.

As I was helped aboard, I leaned close to the captain's ear and said, "I expect to be in Sootopolis City in five hours. If you are late I will become a royal bitch. If you 'accidentally' run out of gas, I will tie a rope around your jewels and have you drag this boat to port."

I found a large chair designed for sport fishing and made myself comfortable. I noticed the heavy duty socket between my legs and mused, "Should I buy one of these for Jean?"

"Don't go there," pleaded Jean.

"It's got a place for your feet and Jean could 'mount' any toy she wants with this socket."

"Uh?" muttered the young captain for attention.

"You paid; they didn't, so I'm not giving anyone else a show. Once we are out of sight, I'll change. Then you'll have four hours to look. No cameras and no touching. You also paid to see me not her. I doubt you could afford it."

"Yes ma'am," replied the captain in defeat as he turned to make the boat ready.

"Are you saying I'm for sale?" thought Yuki.

"I'm saying that you're not cheap."

"Do I get paid for oiling you?"

"Later," I purred.

Once we were well out of port, I pulled off my clothes but projected to Jules an image of a very tiny bikini. I turned my front away from his view as Yuki applied sun block to my front. I smiled.

"You like to be watched," mused Yuki.

"He is fantasying that you're doing what you're really doing," I giggled.

"Maybe he can see through your projection," conspired Yuki.

"Whoops, he got a nose bleed."

"You projected too hard and blew his mind."

"I think he wants me to blow something else," I teased Yuki.

"A strip show and blow job for 36000 Pokedollars? You are cheap."

"I'm not that cheap," I protested. I laid down on a towel so Yuki could oil the other side.

Yuki did an excellent job rubbing the oil into my back and legs. "You so owe me for this," she growled.

"I can't use my hands, but if you want to get naked I could use my body," I offered.

"Captain Jules hasn't paid enough for me to do that."

Yuki was good, bad and good. Her massage was good since she could read where I was sore and tense with her telepathy. She was bad in that she left a patch uncovered with sun-block. She was good in that she could hide that fact behind her mental shields.

Yuki wandered off to inspect the little boat as I relaxed in the sun. I amused myself by psychically doodling with the sun block on my back until I formed an outline of a heart with "S & Y" inside it.

The boat bounded along the sea. Yuki's inspection of the boat finished with an interview of the captain. "You seem a bit young to be a captain," she observed.

"I'm eighteen and I've been on boats since I could walk," he replied defensively.

"Grow up in Mossdeep?"

"No, we're from the Orange Islands, but sport fishing is down so we came here."

I saw in Yuki's mind as she glanced at the computer displays.

"What?" asked the jumpy captain.

"What's that stuff on the screen?" asked Yuki like a teacher who already knew the answer.

"Those are the reefs. If I stay in this channel then I can go at full speed and get to Sootopolis in time."

"What do you think of Mossdeep?"

"Nice place; a little spooky though."

"'Spooky', as in ghosts?"

"No. Some of the locals just know things. Like they know who is calling before the phone rings. Or they know not to go out before a storm develops."

I got off the deck, gathered my towel and moved to the front of the boat, in full view of Yuki and the captain.

"Sabrina, you're not projecting a swimsuit," mentally warned Yuki.

As I clumsily arranged my towel and laid down on my back, I mentally replied, "The kid deserves a bonus." After a hard bounce on the sea, water would spray on the deck and give me goose bumps.

Jules' mind raced.

"Don't get distracted just because you have a naked woman decorating your boat," warned Yuki.

Jules looked back at his instruments and corrected his course. "Who is she?" he asked.

"She is like the ocean itself," sighed Yuki. "Powerful, mysterious, dangerous, destructive, addictive… You already have two mistresses: the ocean and this boat. Don't try for a third."

"Is she your…?"

"I wonder that myself," replied Yuki to the unasked question. "She's been my idol, mentor, boss, friend…" Yuki added lover in her mind but didn't say it.

"Then why say all those things about her?"

"Because they are so very true. She took off all her clothes and is sunbathing on a stranger's boat. Wonder why?"

"Yeah."

"Because she can. She is in complete control of the situation. The only thing that you can do is watch."

Jules tried to imagine otherwise so I psychically tightened the hem of his underwear while projecting an image of him towing the boat while being whipped on his salty back. There was a suppressed memory of rope burn that I found and brought to the fore.

Jules was desperately trying to focus on his instruments and shut out the terror that I brewed.

"I think he's convinced," I projected to Yuki.

"You are so cruel," she mentally replied.

"Am I? You're the one that made me into some forbidden fruit by comparing me to the ocean and stuff."

"...?"

"He's not a student and doesn't recognize your authority as a teacher. If you do convince him that I'm off limits, then you become a target. He's overworked and undersexed since the girls of Mossdeep are spooky. Maybe you should come outside and get some sun and let him down easy."

"?"

"Um?" asked the young captain.

"I guess I'll leave you to pilot the boat; I have my own mistress to attend to," replied Yuki.

Moments later Yuki was nearby and putting on sun block. She wore only her sunglasses as she leaned against the railing. Her boyish haircut ruffled in the breeze. "I didn't expect you to show that much skin."

"You may be powerful, dangerous and addictive, but this is probably the safest place in the world for me," replied Yuki.

"Mossdeep girls are spooky," I teased.

"This is like your sex empire: All those men and women watch you in the videos but they can't do anything to you."

"Does it turn you on? Be careful that you don't get 'addicted'."

"I can just see myself explaining this in a therapy group."

"Espeon?" My Pokemon had left her Pokeball and found us. She was clearly bothered by something. I shifted my senses to Captain Jules who was nervous about something other than two naked women on his boat. Yuki and I went back, found our clothes and got dressed. I stopped my stopwatch feature on my Poketch; the captain still had over three hours due.

Shortly after we were ready, the boat was swallowed by a giant Wailord. It closed its mouth with a clang. The boat was brought to a short halt in the darkness. We were fine in Espeon's Protect. Jules' mind was full of stars.

We hurried upstairs. I check on Jules who was just stunned. Yuki turned on the lights. The boat was in a large metal cavern. Yuki swiveled the lights. There were signs of neglect and removed logos. Jules muttered, "Ghost Pirates."

Bright lights came on that illuminated the boat and blinded us.

"What do they want?" wondered Yuki.

"It's not a government boat," I surmised. "Who else had a large sub?"

"Team Aqua, but they disbanded years ago," thought Yuki.

"Leftover criminals in a leftover sub," I concluded. "Pirates; they'll want ransom in the form of money or Pokemon."

"If they knew who you were, it would be a big ransom of money."

"Well it is me, and I don't think that they have money enough to pay me off," I fumed.

"Come out onto the deck," boomed a voice over the tinny loudspeaker.

Yuki and I did.

"Bring the other one."

Yuki and I went in and helped out Jules and settled his faint body into a deck chair.

I stretched out my senses. There were minds scattered over the sub, some focused on their duty, some ambitious minds were arguing and a few faint minds were trapped in a drug lined prison of despair. These later minds included human and Pokemon thoughts.

A different voice came over the loudspeaker and joked, "No reason to get dressed up for us. Go back to the way you were. Heh, heh."

Yuki mentally flinched.

They had spied on us then decided to catch us.

"If it's too cold for you, we can turn off the 'air conditioner'."

"Pirates, smugglers and possibly sex traffickers," I mentally added.

"They turned off the ventilation," observed Yuki as the cobwebs stopped fluttering.

"I suppose the typical response is to scream, plead and ask questions," I mused.

"Are you?"

"Like hell. I'd blow a hole in the side of this sub and leave, if it were not for the other prisoners."

"Others?"

I mentally showed Yuki the path to the distant pens, were the others were kept.

"I can't read their minds."

"They can't either; they've been drugged. When our air runs out, they'll drug us and lock us up too."

"That'll take a while with this big room and just the three of us," observed Yuki.

"And the boat…"

Yuki ran back in and shut off the engines that were idling away.

"Aww, you figured it out," mocked the voice over the loudspeaker.

"What's going on? Where am I?" demanded Jules.

"You are in the belly of the beast. You will be free to leave in a little while, but you are going to leave these beauties with us," instructed the voice.

"I'm not doing that!"

"You don't have a choice. Soon you will pass out from lack of air, we'll take the women and you will be set adrift. Unless you want a job too."

"Job?"

"The same kind of job that we're offering the women. It may not pay as well for you, but it's better than being marooned."

Voice2 added, "You can show us your 'qualifications' by demonstrating with the women."

"?!" a possible argument was cut off from our hearing.

I leaned close to Jules' ear and whispered, while clearly projecting into his mind, "They're sex slave traffickers. They want to sell us. They also are toying with you."

Voice2 made his offer, "Just let us pilot the boat and you can get back to what you wanted to do."

"We want to leave!" demanded Jules.

"Privacy is so overrated. Speaking of ratings, how would you like to star in a show? Put on a show and if we like it, we'll give you more air."

"Espeon, do you see the path?" I mentally asked.

Espeon had followed my thoughts to a room with Voice2. Espeon saw the outline of the room and a place to teleport to, which we did. Once in the room, I psychically slammed Voice2 headfirst into the ceiling. His limp body dangled from the overhead ductwork.

There were three other people on the bridge. Espeon dispatched one into the other, which left me the captain. I slammed my bandaged hands into his chest and paralyzed him with Force Palm.

"Espeon, bring Yuki and Jules here," I mentally instructed.

"How? Who?" gasped the captain.

I twisted the captain's chair into shackles and bound him tightly to the floor. Yuki's arrival stopped me from crushing the pirate.

"Jules secure the door," I barked at the bewildered young captain. "Now!"

"Yuki, with me," I mentally ordered. "Surface the ship!" I demanded out loud of the pirate. Yuki followed me through the pirate's mind on how to surface the ship.

"Some of the controls are here," noted Yuki. "The rest are in the engine room. It's a failsafe, in case someone takes the bridge."

The pirate laughed, "So you got me and the bridge, now what? Can you run this ship by yourself? Do you know where you are?"

The pirate did: we were leaving the reefs around Mossdeep and heading at full speed to Orre.

"Shall we discuss your surrender?" he laughed.

I stared at his windpipe and mentally squeezed.

His laugh got raspy, then his eyes met mine and he thrashed in his bindings until he passed out.

"What happened?" asked Jules.

"I got mad," I replied. "We are in a submarine that is smuggling Pokemon and sex slaves to Orre. Soon we will be in international waters. I want this ship and its crew taken into custody and I want the prisoners freed. Any ideas?"

Jules was trying to control his panic and his thoughts of self-preservation.

A moan from the ceiling called for attention. "Strip them," I ordered.

I plunged our prisoners into a deep trance. The clothes were a random collection of Aqua and Magma uniforms. Once stripped of clothes, weapons and Pokeball, the pirates were bound tightly like their captain.

Someone spied us through a window in the door and ran off for help.

"Company's coming," warned Yuki.

Soon four pirates were down the passageway. They released a Crawdaunt to break down the door. I released Rotom who passed through the door and knocked out everyone with Discharge. The overhead lights popped and displays on the bridge flickered.

"Be careful," warned Yuki.

"I have to get to the engine room, wherever that is, so we can surface the ship, right?" I asked as I recalled Rotom.

"Right," agreed Yuki.

"You three stay here and protect the bridge. Espeon, if this goes bad we'll need to leave, so look for a path to the surface."

"Esp," agreed my Pokemon.

"First: help me find a path. If the bridge is taken, then they'll have to protect the engine room to keep the boat. Let's find a quiet place near them."

"What is going on?" demanded Jules.

"Jules, make yourself useful in a boating way. Radio for help, stop the boat, turn us around,…, something."

Jules busied himself.

Espeon and I looked into the minds on the boat. "Engine rooms are near the back and bottom," offered Yuki as she peeked in.

We found the minds of the captives. Pokemon and humans alike, their minds we a gaping pit of fear, loathing and despair. They were in such need for help and caring, that I didn't want to turn away, but I had to. I had to find the path so I could free them.

"There," I noted before I teleported away.

I focused on the pirates. I had to stop them. I looked for them with my mind, sensed their intentions and read their actions. I felt a lone pirate rushing to his duty station. Before he reached me, I tripped him. He hit the floor headfirst. No other minds were close, so I dragged him into a room and secured him.

I felt pleased with my little ambush. I mentally searched for other stragglers to pick off. I wiped the perspiration from my forehead with my bandaged hand. The bandage that Yuki put on now smelled of the sun block that was rubbed all over me. Yuki.

I had to protect Yuki and Espeon. If I took my time, I would lose myself and them.

Most of the pirates had taken a position and waited. A few were scouting. One such scout was racing past. I was about to stop him but his mind was racing with conflicting thoughts, "Protect the operation. Protect the prisoners. G-men. Sting operation."

I pulled him into the room I was hiding in. "Explain yourself now," I demanded as I psychically held him fast.

"My name is Lance. I'm a Pokemon G-man. I'm investigating this smuggling group," he replied.

"Good. Arrest them."

"It's not that simple…"

"There are sex slaves on board. If I hear any more of their thoughts, I will start killing pirates instead of knocking them out. So unless you can stop me, you will help me stop this boat so those people can get help."

Lance's mind was conflicted.

"Is your wife Liza in that hold? Is your cousin Clair? Is your daughter?"

"I don't have a daughter."

"Pray that you never do, because one day you'll look at her and realize that she could have been locked away in some pen, destined to be a slave in a distant country. Are you Lance the Dragon Rider, or are you Lance the worm?"

"I'll help you," he surrendered.

"My friend is on the bridge, where should we be?"

"Engine room; this way," replied Lance as he led the way. As he sneaked down the passage, he asked, "What would you have done if I said, 'no'?"

"I'd knock you out and break a few bones for good measure."

"Oh," he replied flatly.

I sensed other minds down the hall so I yanked Lance close and whispered, "But if you try to betray me to keep your cover, I will expose the G-men and all their scandals so you and all your superiors spend the rest of their lives in jail. And I'll personally let your wife and cousin experience how each victim on this boat has been treated. Do I make myself very clear?"

The two guards flew past us and into wall, where they make a bone crunching stop. I ripped up a piece of the metal floor and bound them.

"Yes."

"I'm not convinced, Lance. I won't be convinced until I'm on the surface. Because the more you lead me around this boat, the more I learn to hate you."

"I'm sorry. I was undercover. I had to do it."

"Following orders is a sad excuse, worm."

A mass of thoughts were organizing in the direction of the engine room. There were other thoughts that were shielded as dark Pokemon are.

"What kind of Pokemon opposition is there?"

"Crawdaunts and Mightyena."

I released Rotom.

"You're going to take them out?"

"Give me a reason that I don't take you out first."

"Because I'll go in first and draw their fire," he replied and did just that. Since he dressed as they did, some stopped in mid attack.

"Take down everyone," I instructed Rotom before he unleashed three waves of Discharge into the crowd. A few Mightyena were standing but my Force Palm finished them when they charged us. I found Lance unconscious in the pile of pirates, and dragged him to the engine room door. I unlatched the door and told Rotom, "Stay here and knock out anyone that moves."

Inside the engine room were two burly pirates.

"Surface the ship," I demanded.

One pirate hesitated, the other snarled. I slammed the snarling pirate face first into the floor.

"Surface the ship."

My temper was lost and the stabbing pain returned to my hands. The cold, biting pain pushed me to the edge of reason. The shadows grew around my clenched fists. The standing pirate looked nervous, the other was defiant.

A great fist of shadow extended from arm and slammed the downed pirate in the back.

"Surface the ship and I'll stop," I growled.

"What are you?" shrieked the other pirate.

"The gatekeeper to hell," I replied as I slammed the unconscious pirate. "All of you are going to hell for what you have done." The pain contorted my hand. My shadow fist became a Shadow Claw. I sent one talon through the pirate's leg.

"Raise the ship, now."

"But, but,…"

He couldn't raise the ship on his own except for the emergency ballast release.

"Release the ballast and you will live a little longer," I offered.

He did.

The boat shuddered and heaved. The pirate fainted out of fear. Yuki and Espeon were trying to reach my mind. I tried to hold onto my footing and my sanity. The boat became violent as it broke through the surface and crashed back down.

Lance was woken by the shaking. He looked over the fallen pirates in the engine room and the hall and asked, "What are you?"

"Better than you," I replied. I walked past him and recalled Rotom.

Yuki and Espeon were still calling to me.

"I'm here," I thought as I tried to regain control of myself.

"Are you all right?" asked Yuki.

"Physically: yes. I need to get off of this thing."

"Jules has radioed the coast guard."

I stopped in my walk. I looked up at the ceiling and wished to see the sky. I pushed everything out of my way until a path opened and there was the sky. A Wingull circled overhead. I climbed out of the tunnel and stood on the skin of the mechanical Wailord.

"Come outside Yuki," I thought. "Espeon, bring Yuki here." Espeon teleported Yuki to the surface of the boat.

"Sabrina? You're crying."

"Yeah; I had to focus on the pain," I replied as I showed my unbandaged hands.

Yuki walked over and held me. I tried to shut out everything else and just focus on her caring.

"That's quick," commented Yuki as she spied a ship approach.

The boat was fast and was riding above the waves.

"Hydrofoil," explained Yuki.

The boat slowed with a great amount of splashing and spray.

"Ahoy!" shouted the captain.

"Ahoy," replied Yuki as she waved.

"You two need a lift?" It was old man McKinsey.

"I need off of this damn boat," I muttered.

"Espeon can you get our bags from the boat?" asked Yuki.

My Pokemon disappeared then reappeared with our packsacks around her neck. After McKinsey got his boat close, Espeon teleported us.

"Welcome aboard," greeted the old man. His skin was deeply tanned; his moustache looked like a Walrein's. His eyes had a knowing sparkle that lifted some of the weight off my heart. "Where is Jules?"

"He should be on the bridge," replied Yuki nervously.

"He is in a panic, but okay," I replied after the briefest looks into the minds onboard.

McKinsey called the coast guard and reported the location of the strange vessel.

Jules cut in, "Do you see two women?"

"Did they have an Espeon?" asked McKinsey.

"Yes! That's them. They disappeared."

McKinsey caught my eye and winked.

"Disappear is right; they were on top of the strange Wailord then 'poof', gone in a flash."

"Where did they go?"

"Probably back to the Pokemon Center. Isn't that were trainers teleport to?"

McKinsey switched off the radio and asked, "Should we leave?"

"Stick around till the coast guard gets here, please. That boat must not get away."

"Not that I could stop it with my little boat." He shook his head and said, "When you think you've seen it all."

Minutes later a coast guard helicopter flew over. A frigate (that 'happened' to be in the area) got here moments before the coast guard cutter.

"McKinsey, what are you doing here?" asked someone on the radio.

"I thought I'd fish for Wailord."

"Who are those women?"

"These are my granddaughters."

"You don't have…"

McKinsey cut him off with a cough and, "From my second wife."

"Right," replied the radio. "We need to secure the area, so please leave. We'll get your statement back in port."

Without another word, McKinsey revved the engines and sped away. As the other boats disappeared from view, the captain asked, "Do you still want to go to Sootopolis City?"

"Someplace nice and distracting please," I shivered.

"I know the spot."

The old man whistled and sang several sea shanties before I asked, "How did you know where to find us?"

"Let's just say that I went to my favorite Wailord watching spot, and there it was."

"Let's just say that with everyone else on Mossdeep, you have some latent psychic ability and it manifests itself as Future Sight," I countered.

"Nah. My Golduck has that ability." He released said Pokemon. The Golduck looked as weathered and crusty as his trainer. "Do you need something for your hands?"

"I've got it in my bag…" Yuki already had the bandages and ointment ready. "If I have to keep using this capsaicin stuff, I'll develop Fire Punch."

"What did you do, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Frostbite."

"In Mossdeep?"

"There was a Froslass trapped in the ice of shoal cave. I released her and caught her, but she didn't like me as her trainer."

"Frostbite the hand that feeds you?" he asked with a wink.

Yuki gave the man a giggle as she wrapped the bandages tight.

"Well there is a giggle I haven't heard for a while."

"?"

"I remember a giggling girl about so high that was always running around without her clothes."

"Always?" I asked.

"It was just that one time on the tricycle," corrected Yuki.

"So it was a different little girl that I met that who said that her momma didn't want her to get her clothes muddy, so she took them off. Later it was a different girl who was stuck on the reefs who said she didn't want to wear her swimsuit because it was too girly."

Yuki started to blush.

"That's why I didn't recognize her at the pier…" he chuckled.

"Because she had her clothes on," I concluded with a laugh.

"You are one to talk," chided Yuki.

"That sounds like a great story," prompted McKinsey.

"Don't you dare," I warned.

"Nevermind," replied Yuki.

"So what do you want to do now? Snorkel? Dive? Fish? Go streaking?"

"Captain?" whined Yuki.

"It's not like he hasn't see it before," I joked.

"I know a nice little atoll. It has sand, sun and shelter from the waves. It's great for just about anything."

"Anything?"

"As long as it doesn't involve phones or electricity."

"Sold."

"Ha! Did you really make Jules pay for the privilege of shipping you to Sootopolis?" he asked.

"Like I'd have to pay for people to look at me in a swimsuit," I laughed.

"What swimsuit?" teased Yuki.

"You too? Little Yuki is a bad influence on you Miss Sabrina."

"I didn't tell you my name."

"No, but Yuki's parents are always beaming about their daughter the successful teacher in the big city."

"It's not like that…" blushed Yuki.

"Well, well; the bossy, little tomboy of the neighborhood has blushed twice on my boat."

"She's still bossy," I added.

"I am not bossy," protested Yuki. "You are the terror of your own gym. The students live in fear of you."

"Good," I smiled.

"That way the students will come to you instead," concluded McKinsey.

"Frees up my workload," I conspired.

"You mean all this time you've just been too lazy to teach?"

I winked.

"Arrgh!"

"You are a better teacher than me, so why should I get in the way?"

"Sounds like a cushy job."

"Train up some Pokemon, battle young trainers and let a few of them win," I listed.

"'Let'?"

"To make it fair, we do give the challenger a few advantages. I don't swap Pokemon and I use ghosts and psychics."

"So what do you do in your spare time?" asked McKinsey.

"Ha, you blushed!" teased Yuki.

"You're ahead by one."

"Well here's our stop, so hang on," warned McKinsey. He maneuvered the boat past sand bars then stopped in a crystal blue lagoon. "Everyone okay?"

We nodded.

He maneuvered the boat to a little dock and secured the boat. "Golduck will keep an eye on the weather, so enjoy the sun. I'll stay on board, so enjoy yourselves," he said with a wink that made Yuki and me blush. "Heh; three to two, Sabrina's favor."

Yuki and I let out all our Pokemon, except Froslass. Golduck and Poliwag explored the lagoon.

"Kadabra?" asked Golduck's mate.

"We put medicine on, so you can take a break. Make a sandcastle or something," I replied.

"?"

"Have fun."

Yuki and I just walked barefoot in the sugar-soft, white sand. Yuki put her arm around my shoulder. I didn't know I was crying until she dried my face.

"I just had to get away."

"I know, I could sense it too," replied Yuki.

"I never wanted to have anything to do with this side of the sex industry. I wanted there just to be sex, fun and pleasure. I did everything to drive away the pimps and abusers. I hired therapists to help the runaways so they could get their lives back. I didn't want anyone hurt. I just wanted to feel good."

"Sshhh. You did great things in Saffron. There's nothing to feel sorry about."

"I could have done more. I could expand to Hoenn and Sinnoh."

"Expand? You'd have to put warp tiles and repeaters all over the country. How could you stay anonymous?"

"Front companies and stuff," I muttered.

"Hey, pull yourself together. This is not the Sabrina I know."

I went limp and said, "Sorry."

"'We protect our own' is what you have said. Saffron City; its people and Pokemon, that's what you protect. If you expand and worry about everybody, then the people in Saffron will slip through the cracks. If you spend all your time managing a sex empire, then young psychics will stop coming to the Saffron to learn from the Great Sabrina."

"You sound like Ivan," I replied with a forced smile.

"Good, because he admires you. All of us at the gym do. You are an example to all of us. You have led the way. We need the Great Sabrina."

"It sounds better when he rolls his Rs," I half joked.

"I can roll other things," purred Yuki.

My stomach rolled and growled in response.

"That's romantic."

"I must have worked up an appetite," I explained. I opened my senses to everything on the island. I saw our Pokemon laying in the sand, or playing in the lagoon. Poliwag was making friends with a Krabby.

"Can I see too?" asked a distant Yuki.

"Sure," I thought and let her see the world as I did.

"Amazing…"

"This place is beautiful because the island is at peace. We can see the joy and contentment around us."

"Empathy?"

"Yes. I suppose something good came out of my time with Anabel."

"If the students could see this, they would be inspired," offered Yuki.

"Then we need to take more fieldtrips."

"What's happening with your hands?"

I examined my hands. "There are…splinters or maybe microrifts?"

"Rifts?"

"Dimensional rifts: there are little rifts in my hands that lead to the ghost dimension. These rifts are in conflict with the psychic nature of my own body."

"Is there any danger?"

"I don't know. I'll have to meditate on this tonight."

"Should you see a doctor?"

"Do you know anyone qualified to explain this?" I asked.

"Lady Lilith, Lady Agatha, you, Professor Oak," listed Yuki.

"Oak?"

"He knows about everyone in the Pokemon research community. He should know of an expert."

"Which would be: Lady Lilith, Lady Agatha and me."

"You are so egotistical," chuckled Yuki.

"And hungry," I added so I took Yuki's arm and transported us near the boat. McKinsey had a small table and chairs set up.

"Welcome to the Captain's table. I bet Jules didn't figure a meal in with his price," joked the old sailor.

"He had other things on his mind," I replied.

"Can't be a good businessman if you get distracted and neglect customer service."

"Jules thought that he was the customer, and that Sabrina would service him," giggled Yuki.

"Then I'd say 40000 was a bargain," he teased with a wink.

"Depending on how good your cooking is, you may get both," I purred. "It's no fun teasing someone who is too tan to blush."

"I'm not blushing."

I put on my coy, princess smile and tapped my temple gently.

"Okay I blushed."

"Do we still get dinner?" asked Yuki.

We did. Captain McKinsey made wonderful seafood stew, and had an excellent bottle of wine. After dinner, he showed us a two person sized hammock with a view of the soon-to-be setting sun. He returned to the ship to watch over the Pokemon. Yuki and I climbed onto the hammock, held each other close and watched the sun slowly set. At that moment, in that little corner of the world, everything was perfect.

Yuki held me from behind as she flitted in and out of sleep. I watched the colors of sunset fade away and the starry night slip across the sky.

Worry and curiosity kept me awake. I tried to sense the minds of the pirate's prisoners, but I could only find the peaceful and familiar minds nearby. I turned my attention to my hands. Were the frostbite damage and the ghost inclusions interacting? Would my hands heal? Who could I see about this problem? Is Froslass still trying to kill me? Would the ghost damage spread?

"Hey, are you going to sleep or worry?" asked Yuki.

"I've got a lot on my mind," I replied.

"You usually have sex on your mind," commented Yuki as she pressed her breasts into my back.

"Not tonight dear, I have a hand ache," I quipped.

"You don't need to use your hands," she replied as she caressed my earlobe.

"Mmm. The problem is that you are too good with your hands," I mentioned.

"You want me to stop?"

"Try to do it with your mind."

"Don't you ever stop training?"

"No. I thought you admired me for it."

"I do, but…"

"Do the butt later. Just do what you were doing earlier, without your hands."

Her telekinesis was very weak, but that meant I had to block out all other feelings so I could sense her. Yuki picked up on what I was trying to do, so she playfully traced her thoughts around my body…


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Lemon Warning: If you don't know what a lemon is or you know you're not supposed to read it, then don't. Really, if you're under 18, go read something else. Also contains mild use of alcohol.

Legacy

Part Seven

Treasure Hunt

The sun was coming up. Yuki and I were both rested and exhausted as we held each other in the hammock.

"Can I nibble on your ear?" asked Yuki.

"How about getting dressed and seeing if the captain has breakfast?"

My stomach added its vote.

"Two to one vote," I teased.

We got dressed, returned to the boat and had a simple yet hearty breakfast of rice porridge and smoked fish.

"I'm surprised that a gym leader from the big city likes my cooking," mentioned Captain McKinsey.

"It's better than my own," I replied.

"That's not hard to do," muttered Yuki.

"I thought that you would have a staff of servants."

"I destroyed the mansion when I was a child, so where would I keep them?"

"You're being evasive," the old man half scolded.

"If I grew up in Mossdeep, where most people had some level of psychic ability, perhaps we could have had servants. As it was, I think my family wanted to shield me from outsiders; or protect outsiders from me."

"Fair enough," concluded the old sailor. "Do you two still want to go to Sootopolis?"

"Where would I find an herbal medicine shop?" I asked.

"Lavaridge Town I assume; which means we go to Slateport."

"Are you okay with that?" I asked Yuki.

"As long as you treat me to a massage and hot sand treatment," replied Yuki.

"Deal."

We rounded up all the Pokemon and boarded the boat. The engines roared as McKinsey flew his boat out of the lagoon and to the open sea. Once the tricky stuff was over, the captain teased us, "So, what was your part in this deal? You remember when everyone was bidding yesterday?"

I winked to Yuki. "I guess I better go change," I told the captain.

Moments later, both Yuki and I walked out to the front of the boat while wearing only sunglasses. "That's two blushes for the captain," I joked.

"So what is this going to do?" asked Yuki as she waved the sunscreen bottle.

"Bloody nose," I speculated.

As Yuki squeezed out the sunscreen on our bodies she joked, "He'll probably charge us more because the deal was for a skimpy swimsuit."

We squirmed and pressed our bodies together like a pair of amorous Dragonair. I kept my senses open to the captain, just to make sure he didn't pass out. The captain's mind was split between running the boat, watching us and stopping his nose from bleeding. When I figured he wasn't watching us, Yuki and I quickly laid down on the beach towels so his show would be over.

We were still too far from shore for my Poketch to get a signal, but I did have a backlog of emails to check. There were two messages from R&D: The security company wanted me to test the new shielding designs, and to evaluate the invisibility generators. I composed an email in response:

"I'll be back in a week. Adapt the shielding for ghost dimension insulation. Make portable."

"Are you working?" asked Yuki.

"I'm toasting my tush in the sunshine," I replied.

"You're working. I can sense the electronic nature of your Poketch transmissions."

"How else am I going to support my lifestyle?"

"…"

"Speechless?" I replied.

"…I don't know where to start about your 'lifestyle'," stammered Yuki. "Porn star,"

"Businesswoman," I corrected.

"Sex toy manufacturer…"

"Businesswoman."

"Madam…"

"Businesswoman. Don't forget gym leader and future hotel magnate. Did you expect any less?"

"…I guess not."

"Your mom likes me."

"She hasn't seen the real you."

"I showed up for breakfast in a hospital gown and bandaged hands," I replied.

"Okay she has seen the real you."

I spent the next hour reading emails from lawyers, and Saffron Tower statistics. I was holed up in my own corner of Saffron City, until Yuki gave me a light spank. "We'll be in Slateport City harbor in ten minutes; time to get dressed."

As we were dressing down below, Yuki recalled, "There is a market in Slateport that may have herbal medicine."

As the boat pulled up to the pier, Yuki was about to jump with a line to secure the boat. I telekinetically took it from her hand and secured the boat.

"I could have done that without showing off," protested Yuki.

"This isn't about showing off; it's about practicing," I replied.

"Yes sensei," whined Yuki.

Captain McKinsey and his Golduck came out to see us off. There were blood stained tissues crammed in all four nostrils. "Was it 40000?" I asked.

"I have to pay?" he asked.

"How about I pay for the gas?" The captain's mind tried to process the figures, but kept getting distracted by our figures. "Can I borrow 20000?" I mentally asked Yuki.

Yuki opened her wallet and handed the captain 30000. "This is your wallet," Yuki teased back.

I made eye contact with Golduck; he just gave me a thumbs-up.

"If I recall, Yuki blushed three times; the captain and I twice each," I mused.

"So?" asked Yuki.

I slid my sunglasses down enough for the captain to see my eyes. I then projected that my lips were brilliant saffron and the rest of the world was gray. The captain blushed again.

"I win," I boasted and broke the spell.

We waved goodbye and went in search of the Slateport outdoor market.

Yuki asked, "What did you do to him?"

"I reminded him of a rather naughty video he saw."

"I do not want to know," protested Yuki.

The market was like Mossdeep's, only bigger. Yuki bought samples of sweets and dried fish. I just drank in the buzz of business. "You okay?" asked Yuki.

"Sometimes I just miss the big city life," I replied as we squeezed through the crowds.

"Ow! What hell did you do?" protested a young man near Yuki.

I scanned his mind and found him to be a pathological scammer and pickpocket. He wasn't in pain, yet.

"Let me have a look," I demanded as I forced my way through. I slipped off the bandages on my hands and grabbed his 'wounded' arm. "This is terrible. Don't move."

"What? Ah! That hurts."

"Of course it hurts; it's broken. See?" I snapped his arm cleanly with telekinesis.

He screamed.

"Call security and an ambulance!" I ordered. I messed with the pickpocket's speech control so he spouted gibberish. "Help me hold him down before he hurts himself!"

Some good natured citizens helped to bring the young man to the ground and hold him down. I made sure there was no resistance.

"What's going on?" demanded Officer Jenny.

Terror filled the pickpocket's eyes.

"Hold his head down; he's convulsing! This man has a broken arm. I suspect that he is on hallucinogens. He'd have to be not to notice the pain."

"Who is he? Does anyone here know who he is?" asked the officer.

"Can you get his wallet?" I asked one of my assistants.

The man went into the pickpocket's jacket and pulled out a wallet. The man looked in the wallet and said, "This is my wallet! He's a thief!"

Officer Jenny and the crowd were livid. The thief was hysterical, but restrained. When he was finally tranquilized and hauled away, I unscrambled his speech.

"That was fun," I mused.

"You like messing with people's heads," thought Yuki.

"I need to print a lot of t-shirts."

"Because you're psychic; I know."

At last we found a merchant that dealt in berries. The only product he had with kasib berry was a bottle of liquor that cost as much as the boat ride. Yuki paid. I pulled out the cork and drank a swig.

"Classy. Really classy," chided Yuki.

"It gets better," I replied. I rewrapped my hands with the bandages then soaked them with the kasib liquor.

The shopkeeper looked shocked.

I poured all my senses into my hands. The liquor did help for there was a slight disruption of the microrifts. Kadabra's Recover was now more effective in fixing the frostbite damage.

I returned my senses to the market and Yuki.

"Could you blank out in a more discrete place?" asked Yuki.

I smiled. The shopkeeper wanted to call the police.

"Sir, this liquor has been a most effective treatment for my damaged hands. I had a training accident with my ghost Pokemon…" I stifled a fake tear and sniffle.

The shopkeeper became sympathetic, "I am very sorry about your hands."

"Would you sell me another bottle?" I pleaded.

He happily did.

We left the market and looked for transportation to Lavaridge Town. Yuki grumbled about carrying the groceries. "We could have bought one of those folding carts," I offered.

"I am too young to be seen pulling one of those," protested Yuki.

"Can you imagine us in thirty or forty years?"

"I'm trying to imagine you making porn videos to supplement your retirement checks," teased Yuki.

"That sounds like a good plot," I mused.

"No."

"A retirement center…" I mused. "No, an active living community…"

"Don't."

"Grandma Lilith is rather spry."

"Stop it."

As I teased Yuki, we made our way to the train station. We bought first-class tickets to Lavaridge Town and box lunches. As we waited on the platform Yuki mused, "The richest woman in Saffron City drinks liquor from the bottle and waits for the train."

"The richest woman in Saffron has a car, driver and private jet," I corrected.

"Second richest?" asked Yuki.

"Probably."

"What does that make me?"

"Consort," I replied without thinking.

"Better than concubine," replied Yuki.

I buried my thoughts in emails and news files.

"Why consort?" asked Yuki.

"If I was Daimyo, then you could be a princess. But since I'm only a princess and I haven't checked if you're a princess, then I would say consort. At my station I don't get to promote anyone."

"You're making that up," accused Yuki.

"True. I need to look up what I can do, if anything."

"Sabrina is going to look up the 'rules'?"

I gave Yuki a sidelong glance and an evil grin.

We both giggled until the train pulled in. We settled in our seats and opened our lunches. I absentmindedly ate with my telekinesis.

"People are staring," projected Yuki.

I waved the Pokeball on the gold chain that hung around my neck. It convinced most people that everything was okay. A young boy was still fascinated by it all and stared over his seat. I was left alone until Yuki's mind protested, "This stuff is nasty!"

She had taken a sip of the kasib liquor. "It reminds me of cough syrup," I thought. I took the bottle from Yuki. I pulled a mouthful of the liquor, swished a little then swallowed. I breathed at the little boy and mentally projected, "Cough syrup." He flinched and hid in his seat.

The miles rattled by the window. Yuki snored a little; or did I?

We pulled into Lavaridge. After we left the train, we made inquiries for an inn with hot sands. A quick cab ride later we were checked in, wrapped in yukatas and being buried in hot sand.

"I've wanted to do this for years," sighed Yuki.

Espeon, Kadabra, Poliwag and Golduck were also pleased. Rotom and Froslass opted out. Yuki's Solrock, Lunatone and Claydol enjoyed it more than Yuki, probably do to their physical nature.

"No work," ordered Yuki.

My reply was to enter a deep healing trance. Pain, fatigue and worry all dissipated like a mist. The pressures of my careers and image were lifted. My body felt weightless. Then my head was bouncing. I snapped my conscious back to the real world.

"Spoink?"

I felt another psychic close to me. I sat upright and turned around. There in the sands bounced a Spoink. "Excuse me?"

"Spoink," it replied dejectedly. Then it got distracted and used its telekinesis on my Poliwag. Poliwag enjoyed the short flight and even found being upside down on Spoink's head to be amusing.

Spoink was please until it realized that Poilwag wasn't its pearl.

"I'm terribly sorry," apologized the attendant that buried me.

"Is this your Spoink?" I asked.

"No ma'am."

"Who do you belong to?" I asked and mentally probed. What I found in the Spoink's mind were a series of misadventures of losing its pearl. Various humans and Pokemon were involved. "You sure make a habit of losing the most important things don't you?"

"Spoink," replied the depressed Pokemon.

My youngest Pokemon volunteered her services with a cheery, "Poliwag."

"Poli, sweetie, this doesn't fix the problem. We need to teach Spoink how not to lose his pearl. Go back in your mind and think of what you were doing when you lost your pearl."

Spoink recalled bouncing along until his tail got slowed by the warm sands. When the sands got deeper and warmer, Spoink buried himself and went to sleep. When he woke, his pearl was missing, again.

"Excuse me, has anyone found Spoink's pearl? It should be about this big," I asked.

They hadn't.

"That means it should still be here," I explained to Spoink.

Poliwag wanted to dig.

"There's a better way," I replied. I put my hand on Spoink's head. "Search for your pearl: send your psychic energy through the sand, and try to sense the pearl's reaction. No, that's Solrock so don't bother to put him on your head. Search deeper and slow down. That's better. Up and down in time with your bouncing. No, that's a metal bucket. Don't get discouraged. What's that? Do you sense it? Is it the right shape? Yes."

We pulled a Pokeball out of the sand. I checked and the Pokeball was empty.

"Back to our search," I beamed. We spent another five minutes searching until we found another round object. "It's the right shape. Do you feel how it reacts to your energy?" Spoink brought out the object and proudly put it on his head. Thankfully, it was his pearl.

"Poli!" cheered my Pokemon.

"Spoink, Spoink!" exclaimed Spoink.

"You need a lot of training."

"Spoink?"

"You found it because you were close by, the ground is a consistent medium and I helped you focus. Poliwag and I would love for you to join us and I should be able to teach you not to lose that pearl again. What do you say?" I asked as I held the unearthed Pokeball in my hand.

"Spoink," he replied as he levitated the Pokeball onto his head, and caught himself.

With the adventure over, we were reburied in the sand. Later Yuki and I were awakened by the inn's staff. As we were unearthed, Yuki accused me of working.

"I spent the whole time enjoying myself and exploring the mysteries of the sand," I replied with a smile.

After a quick shower, we went to the dining room. We released all our Pokemon to join us for dinner. Froslass was nervous.

"Everyone, this is Froslass. She is our newest ghost Pokemon."

"Poli!" greeted my little water Pokemon without fear.

"Spoink!" cheered the other newbie.

"Spoink?" asked Yuki.

"You snooze; I choose. Or rather Spoink chose to train with us."

"Spoink," cheered the bouncy Pokemon. I caught his pearl and returned it to his head.

"You need to work on that."

Spoink blushed.

Espeon sat between me and Froslass.

"It's okay," I said as I scratched Espeon behind her ear. "Froslass and I came to an understanding. Didn't we?"

Froslass nodded.

"It still feels cold in here," thought Yuki.

"Poliwag can warm anyone's heart," I mused. "I caught two Pokemon and I did the hot sands. Now what?"

"Rush, rush, rush," whined Yuki.

I returned Froslass to her Pokeball.

"The heat is too much for her," I explained.

"Phooey. Visiting the volcano is out," grumped Yuki.

"Next time. How about we follow Kiyo's treasure map to the Hidden Kingdom?"

"Then we have to go back to Slateport and catch a Jetfoil," explained Yuki.

To make the most of the next day we got up early to catch the first train back to Slateport. The Pokemon and I got up early and we carried the still sleeping Yuki to the train station. Yuki woke up five minutes outside of Slateport.

Slateport City: if you need to catch a boat in Hoenn, look here. So Yuki and I looked for a boat. "Isn't it ironic that there are eight ferries a day going to Hidden Kingdom?" I asked.

"Do you expect the people to change the name to 'Formerly Hidden Kingdom'?" asked Yuki. "That would ruin their advertising campaign. Instead of 'Discover the Hidden Kingdom' it would be 'Formerly Hidden Kingdom: You're Too Late'."

"Good point."

"How are your hands?"

"They hurt like hell. Want to share?" I replied as I used my teeth to pull the cork from the gourd/flask that hung off my packsack. I took a sip of the kasib liquor then poured more on my bandages.

"No. I know that you could share that pain with me, but no. Thank you."

We booked two seats on the next jetfoil, which was about to board. We followed the crowds, found our seats, and found some bento lunches. Yuki offered to feed me. "Is this your idea of a romantic cruise?" I teased.

"Unless you want to eat off the floor like an animal," Yuki countered.

I telekinetically stole a pickle from Yuki's lunch and ate it. "I can do it myself."

"This isn't Saffron City. This isn't even Mossdeep. You'll stand out if you do that."

Yuki's comment had an air of pleading, so I behaved and let her feed me.

"You're pretty good at this," I mentally commented.

"I've helped to raise a few Pokemon from eggs."

"Your parents want grandkids."

"Yuri isn't going to give them any. You want to adopt?"

I bit down on the chopsticks in my mouth. "I have already adopted all the students in my gym," I mentally replied.

"You want to make a withdrawal from the bank?" mused Yuki.

"You think I'd want the child of some normal commoner?"

"If you're not joking, I'll stab you with these chopsticks."

"Think about it… I have a lot in common with my ancestor Samantha."

"How?"

"There are several reasons why I had to get this Pokemon," I purred as I pointed a bandaged hand at the gold and purple Synchronize Ball that hung around my neck.

"That's not possible," hissed Yuki.

"That's not humanly possible," I mentally corrected. "But I don't think of myself as human."

"That is scary; exciting and a bit of a turn on, but scary."

"I know that your parents and Jonah have occupied your mind. I figured you needed another option."

"Great."

I left Yuki to her thoughts as I watched the ocean race by the window.

Two hours later Yuki nudged me out of my trance. We disembarked and found a bus that took us into the countryside. Then we caught a dirty old cab that took us to the end of the road. There we found a farmhouse, a gift shop or a shack, depending on my point of view.

"Smell that country air," beamed Yuki.

"Smells like a sewer break."

A farmer, who looked for any excuse not to be farming hurried over to help.

"Master Lee," I purred and his eyes glittered with greed. "Real name: Sun Lee. Former occupation: used car salesman. Current occupation: pig farmer and part-time charlatan. You married a farmer's daughter when her older brother ran off to be a Kung-Fu master. You married the woman before you found that the farm to be a swampy meadow in a remote valley and only good for raising pigs and flies. After a housing development failed, you invited your brother in law, now called 'Ten Tails', to act as a wise kung-fu master on an ancient temple hill, after you made the housing foundations look aged. 'Ten Tails', who you also call a 'crotchety old bastard' brought in other fake 'masters' and, you suspect, a few real ones. 'Ten Tails' resides on the second highest hill, because the other 'old farts' can't climb the stairs when they come down and get drunk on Saturday night. His job is to entertain the tourists with some rigorous training until they quit and leave or to send them on to a more expensive master if they show any promise of paying.

"I will therefore pay you your base fee, equivalent to two jars of cheap wine, for the information that I have acquired regarding what I have just mentioned, and for information about the 'really spooky one' that lives on that hill. Thank you." I dropped on the table enough money then walked along the path to the 'eighth mountain'.

Yuki bought some prepackaged food and two factory-made-to-look-handmade straw hats. She raced along the path and put a hat on me, then said, "That was a little rude."

"There is a good chance that none of these 'masters' knows anything that I want," I replied. "Why should I waste our time?"

"We were the only customers he had all day."

"'Build a better product and the world will be a path to your door,' but if what you have is crap then stay away from decent folk."

"It is pretty here," remarked Yuki. "I wonder why the housing development fell through."

"Flies, pigs and Mr. Lee," I listed. "Now he wants to make this area into a hydroelectric project. Too bad there isn't enough ground water to make that happen either."

"Why is it too bad?"

"This place is damned already," I quipped, "may as well make something useful."

"If I didn't pay good money for that hat, I'd hit you with it."

We hiked along the swampy, fly infested path, that Yuki described as rustic, until it sloped upwards towards a long set of stairs that climbed up and out of sight.

"What kind of teacher puts a thousand step staircase in front of their school?" I grumped.

"It shows that it is exclusive," offered Yuki.

"It shows that the teacher hates students. It's like having obscure office hours during the most popular class times."

"Bitter memories?" asked Yuki.

I continued, "I put a disclaimer on the Professor's door: 'Warning this Professor is incompetent. Don't bother making it to office hours since he doesn't know or care what you are talking about.'"

"You didn't…"

"Of course I did; and did you know how long that noticed stayed on his door? Three weeks. Which meant that he either didn't care, didn't notice or didn't even go to his office. The damn, lecherous, old goat."

"So what did you get for a grade?"

"A+"

"How?"

"Sit in the front row with a tight shirt and a miniskirt."

"That's terrible."

"No, that's politics, or rather Political Science."

"I know that you didn't leave it at that," goaded Yuki.

"Of course not; I took three more classes with the old pervert and got three more 'A's. What I learned about politics is this: Get tenure, write a crappy book and force the students to buy it. Cut the school in for a share of the profits and nobody will care that everything that you say is wrong outside of the campus. Give an A to any student that fans your ego or shows some skin, so the student signs up for another easy grade the next semester."

"Is that Professor still teaching?"

"No. I sent a rebate back to the Professor's University expense account from the Soapland. I made sure to include a detailed invoice of all services rendered. Too bad that it was sent to all University email accounts."

"That's the Sabrina I know," laughed Yuki. "I can't believe that he didn't know you were psychic."

"The old fool was so wrapped up in his little world that he didn't understand anything a foot past his lectern." I stopped in my stair climb. I looked down then up again and grumped, "This is stupid."

"If you were a serious student of the martial arts, you would climb these steps every morning while carrying buckets of water," explained Yuki.

"I would seriously lose my temper and cut this 'mountain' in half. Right about here." I made a slow cutting stroke with my hand and telekinetically gouged out a line in the hill's face. "Or maybe I'd just learn to fly telekinetically. Mewtwo does, why shouldn't I?"

"But climbing stairs is about building stamina and physical strength," argued Yuki as we climbed again.

"What good are strong legs for Aura Sphere? Am I supposed to kick it? Next you'll tell me to eat three heads of cabbage a day so I can blow Aura Spheres out my butt."

"Haven't you watched kung-fu movies where the hero climbs a set of stairs to find a wise master who trains the hero to be strong and defeat the villain?"

"No, but I just saw your mind go over the plot for four movies with that theme so I get the idea."

I applied my telekinesis to myself to relieve the stress on my legs. Soon I was easily bounding up five steps at a time.

"Cheater," called out Yuki.

"I said you should learn telekinesis," I replied.

"Are you at the top?"

"No, just a flat spot. Who in their right mind would climb this damn thing every morning?"

"Whoo, I'm not in my right mind now," complained Yuki as she wobbled. I telekinetically lifted her to my location. "Thanks. Do you think anyone is home?"

I mentally and vocally projected, "There damn well better be someone at the top of this hill, or I will do something worse than post a sign!"

"Sabrina," hissed Yuki, "Why make the guy angry before you ask for a lesson?"

"To wake the old man up," I replied.

"He was sleeping?"

"Let's say he was daydreaming." I released Espeon from her Pokeball and set down my pack. "Would you watch over our things?"

"Esp," she agreed.

"Hurry up!" I mentally projected to the old man as I bounded up the stairs till I was just short of the top. I pulled Yuki, minus her pack, after me. We climbed the last story and found a white haired old man in white robes, sitting on a makeshift throne amongst the rubble of a ruined mansion.

"What do you want?" asked the white haired man.

"I came looking for knowledge about Aura Sphere," I replied.

The old man looked us over and decided by the hats and the condition of our clothes that we were tourists and the Lee didn't do his job.

"I realized that your concierge, Mr. Lee, has the duty to keep the tourists away from the real 'masters' and shake people down for their money. No I haven't worked my way through the other seven mountains and while I don't mind being thought of the hottest babe you've seen in years, if you lay a hand my friend, who you regard as, 'even the skinny one will do', I will break every bone in your body and dislocated every joint. Then I'll get nasty. Good, you managed to close your surface thoughts to me; this means that you have some skill."

"Who sent you?"

"Master Kiyo."

"You have a very powerful master."

"Kiyo is my neighbor who teaches karate. I'm a psychic."

"Then why learn Aura Sphere?"

"I had some free time."

"Ha, ha, ha. I have studied the mysteries of Aura Sphere for forty years. How much time were you willing to spend?" laughed the old man.

"I learned Force Palm in a day then learned Shadow Punch in half a day. If you actually knew Aura Sphere, I would take no more than two days to learn it. Since you're barely past Force Palm, I'll have to comeback in twenty years before you're ready."

"Sabrina," scolded Yuki.

"My attitude is quite consistent with the other masters on these hills. They talk a great fight, show a few fancy moves, and then grind their students into the dirt until the quit. Forty years ago someone did the same thing to him, and he suspects that his master knew even less about Aura Sphere than he did."

"You are one cruel mistress," replied the old man.

"I give the customer what they pay for; you participate in the Eight Mountains of Enlightenment scam."

"It wouldn't be a scam if I had some more time to finish the Aura Sphere," argued the old man.

"Maybe you should stay and teach him a few tricks," suggested Yuki.

"I'm not going to wear a beard and I left my bathrobe at home," I replied.

"It's real," argued the old man. "You know how hard it is to get a decent razor out here?"

I inhaled through my nose and listed the smells, "Cheap wine, dried fish, rice, smoked bacon and pornographic magazines."

"You made that up," argued Yuki.

The old man blushed.

"Too much information," announced Yuki.

"Let's get started," I stated. I shooed the old man off his throne, sat down and said, "Open your mind and demonstrate what you know."

"You're, um, sitting in my chair," replied the old man.

"You're the student, I'm the teacher," I corrected. "Move."

The old man demonstrated a lot; a lot of boring moves that looked the same. Yuki fell asleep and snored. Kadabra and Golduck took little Poliwag for a walk. I started to nod off then the old man stopped. "I realize that what you have done is very important to you and involves subtleties that I'll never understand. But what have you learned that is relevant to Aura Sphere, or even Force Palm?"

"I demonstrated Force Palm," he argued.

"When?"

"When your friend started to snore."

"Do it again."

He did.

"Do it again and visualize where you are striking."

He did. He imagined that he hit a series of pressure points in the chest and shoulder. Next he imagined a different series of pressure points in the legs.

"Stop. Can you break a brick?" I looked about the rubble pile that flanked the training area and said, "Silly question. Please demonstrate your technique for breaking a brick with Force Palm."

"One should use Brick Break for that and not Force Palm," argued the old man.

I telekinetically pulled a lose brick out of the makeshift throne that I sat on. I held the brick on my upturned and bandaged palms, and closed my eyes. I opened my second sight and explored the brick like I explored the ice days earlier. The brick was cheaply made and had several stress fractures. I pried them one at a time until the brick crumbled.

I got out off his throne, put my hand on his shoulder and said, "That was Force Palm, as taught to me by a Lucario." I sent the same energy into his shoulder and paralyzed his arm. "So was that.

"Yuki, get up; the show's over," I shouted.

"How long would it take for you to teach me that?" asked the old man.

"You understand the results that you want and can duplicate them, but I don't think that you can see the correct method. If you had the second sight, you could do this in a day. As it is, it may take you years to develop the second sight."

"Will you teach me?"

"Not here; I hate flies, I hate pigs and this place has no Poketch reception. I'm going home. If you want to learn, come to Saffron City in Kanto. I could ask Master Kiyo to give you a job teaching regular martial arts at his dojo."

"Saffron City…" repeated the old man.

"Kadabra, we're leaving. Bring the others back," I mentally projected. Kadabra teleported himself, Poliwag and Golduck into view, so I recalled them to their Pokeballs.

As I headed for the stairs, Yuki said to the old man, "Sorry about my friend; it's that time of the month."

"So what if it is?" I shouted as I walked down. "Maybe I need my own mountain to sit on so I don't offend others."

"That would make it quieter in town."

"Then I'll just relieve my boredom by jerking off to cheap porn."

"Sabrina…"

"Oh sorry. I meant to say that I could use the isolation of the mountain top to consult with important scrolls on the meaning of beauty while I explored my inner self. That's what he was doing when we showed up."

"You said he was sleeping."

"I said he was dreaming, of sort. He was dreaming of a long haired, sexy woman running her delicate fingers over his taunt skin and iron hard muscles."

"Too much information!" protested Yuki.

"It was a good thing that I didn't ask him to demonstrate his version of Aura Sphere," I commented as I stroked the air in front of my hips.

"I'm not listening!"

"So, you wish to learn Iron Shaft," I said in a gruff and halting manner. "You must wash yourself in the icy river each morning. Fill two buckets of cum then climb the stairs. After that, then the real training begins."

"La, la, la!"

"With this bag of rice, you will practice Drill Pecker. Then you must break this board with the Three Inch Thrust," I continued.

Yuki played along and asked, "But I'm longer than three inches."

"Ha, ha, ha," I laughed like the old man did. "Are you always longer than three inches? How long can you keep it up? When I said that you would carry two buckets up the stairs, I meant that you will balance them on your shaft. If you go flaccid, the buckets will spill and you'll have to start over."

"You have just ruined five videos in my collection," laughed Yuki.

"And I just came up with the plot for a new one," I added.

"Is the old man going to have a role?"

"Perhaps I should 'interview' him," I purred.

"Eww!"

"You're right; eww!" I agreed.

Author's Note: I saw one of the Kill Bill movies on television which inspired my version with Sabrina.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Lemon Warning: If you don't know what a lemon is or you know you're not supposed to read it, then don't. Really, if you're under 18, go read something else. Also contains mild use of alcohol.

Legacy

Part Eight

The Hidden Kingdom wasn't and the wise masters weren't. As Yuki and I rode the bus back to the ferry terminal, I grumped, "I could have spent an extra day in the hot sands instead of wasting it here."

"We got out and stretched our legs, so it wasn't all bad," replied Yuki.

I kept checking my Poketch for reception, but there was still no signal.

"Enjoy the moment," thought Yuki.

"Make up your mind. Don't torment others. Don't have sex in public. Enjoy the moment," I thought.

"Think about your Pokemon," offered Yuki.

"If I let Spoink out of his Pokeball, we'll spend all night trying to find his pearl. If I let out Froslass, she may try to kill someone," I replied.

"You're sweating."

"Pain is a thing of the mind, and right now my mind is full of it. I think I need a second opinion."

"Professor Oak," suggested Yuki.

The bus came to stop outside the ferry terminal. I went straight to the information desk and asked, "Is there a Pokeball transfer machine here?"

The clerk directed us to the internet lounge.

"Should I go buy tickets?" asked Yuki.

I patched my Poketch to the machine and activated the teleport beacon program; destination: Viridian City. I grabbed Yuki's hand and a heartbeat later we were in a Pokemon Center.

A young trainer who was talking to his mom on the videophone stared at us.

"Is this Viridian City?" I asked.

He nodded.

I opened my flask and drank a lot of kasib liquor. I slumped into a chair and distracted myself with the incoming email messages. Much later I noticed that I was being tucked into bed. My senses told me that we were in one of the dorm rooms of the Pokemon Center.

"Why didn't you use the kasib liquor earlier?" asked Yuki.

"Because it is still alcohol, and teleporting hundreds of miles requires some sobriety."

"What about running a major company and reading emails?"

"I put a time lock on the reply option," I said.

"Are we going to bike to Pallet Town tomorrow?"

"I'll tell you tomorrow," I replied and fell asleep.

The next morning Yuki was sleeping in the upper bunk and Espeon was curled up next to me.

"Esp?"

"I feel better than I did yesterday. I crawled out of the little bed and saw that I was still dressed. I shrugged and wandered out to find coffee and answers. I found both as Nurse Joy was reading the morning paper in the little cafeteria. "What's an easy way to get to Pallet Town?" I asked as I poured myself a cup.

"There's a limited bus service, bike rentals and a hiking path that takes less than a day," offered the Nurse. "Pallet Town also gets most of its shipments from here so you can hitchhike."

"Hitchhike?"

"There is an informal bus stop just outside. The truckers come by on their way to Pallet. They'll give you a lift for modest fee. You have till seven o'clock."

I checked the time and saw that I had thirty minutes left. I rushed back to the room and got ready. Yuki sensed my urgency and asked, "What's going on?"

"We have less than thirty minutes to catch the last truck to Pallet."

Yuki rushed through her morning rituals and was waiting with me on the sidewalk. Eventually her mind caught up and she asked, "Truck?"

"Hitchhiking," I replied as I spied a truck in the distance.

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"Not if you act as my chaperone," I joked.

"I bet you have made videos about this," Yuki teased back.

"I thought that this place looked familiar," I joked.

A delivery truck pulled to a stop and the driver asked, "You two need a ride to Pallet?"

"Yes please," we replied.

We climb in and the truck took off for Pallet. The driver was listening to the radio so we all kept to ourselves. He stopped in Pallet and delivered fresh produce. Yuki and I thanked him and I left him a 5000 note.

"Remember: the last time we were here, we were in disguise," I thought.

"I know that," thought Yuki. "I'm not going to spoil it."

"And don't make any references to Delia Ketchem, or her Mr. Mime."

"Sabrina, usually I'm the one telling you to behave."

"I'm just jumpy," I replied.

We walked through the peaceful path that served as Palette Town's main road. Everything that Saffron City was, this town was its opposite. Where my city was dynamic, active and noisy; Palette Town was calm, restful and quiet. In Saffron City everyone was anonymous, here we were conspicuous.

"Maybe I should have gone with a disguise," I mused.

"We're almost there," Yuki assured me.

We rang the doorbell and Tracy Sketchit answered, "Yes?"

"My name is Sabrina, I was hoping to see Professor Oak."

"Um, which one?" he asked in a quiet voice.

"Let them in Tracy," ordered an unfamiliar voice.

Inside there was a young man that bore some resemblance the famous Professor.

"My name is Professor Gary Oak," he introduced as he did many times to unbelievers. "I'm sure that I can provide any service that my grandfather can."

A very brief image of, on video, Sam Oak dressed as Shiftry and having sex with Delia Ketchem flashed in my mind. "I doubt it," I mentally quipped for Yuki's benefit. Out loud I said, "I would like to make use of Prof. Oak's experience, equipment and complete discretion."

Yuki bit her lip to keep from snickering.

"Very well, if what you have is something I haven't seen before, I'll call in my Grandfather," agreed Gary.

Yuki's eye's were watering as she was about to burst.

We all looked at Tracy. "I'll go out and feed the Pokemon," he replied.

Gary led us into a laboratory. There were two assistants there that left. I showed Gary my hands. "I battled a Froslass, both here in this world and in the alternate dimension of ghost Pokemon. As a result I have both frostbite and some ghost like intrusions," I explained.

Gary motioned for me to put my hands under a large scanner. After ten minutes of computer work and dim lights, Gary replied, "I agree."

"That was useful," commented Yuki.

Gary ignored her and added, "There is also evidence that the ghost-like intrusions are being rejected by the surrounding tissue. What's this?" Gary was pointing to the red syrup stains on my hands.

"Kasib liquor," I replied.

"You figured all this out in five minutes of meditation," Yuki mentally confided.

"It's a good thing I was here, for I have seen similar cases before. In Pokemon that is. At the moment we're calling it, 'Evolution Defects'. Outside of Blackthorn City there is a population of Gloom that randomly evolve into Vileplume and Bellossom. About one in five hundred do not make a successful evolution. The new Pokemon is about ninety percent Bellossom. The remaining ten percent is Vileplume. That ten percent is Grass/Poison, while the majority of the Pokemon is just Grass."

"Tissue rejection," I concluded.

"Worse: the poison parts fight back. No, that is too dramatic. The Grass/Poison parts are somewhat resistant to rejection. I have also seen a case of a Slugma that didn't complete its evolution into a Magcargo. In that case the only difficulty was the Slugma suffered damage when a rock type attack was used. I have also seen a case of a Tropius that was damaged by its own Flying attacks."

"So where does that leave me?"

"If you were a Pokemon then I'd say that you tried to evolve into a Ghost/Psychic Pokemon, but you only got as far as your hands."

"Treatment?"

"You could continue to suppress the effects by using the Kasib liquor or a ghost dampening field. Or you could re-expose yourself to the evolution inducing conditions and hope for the process to complete itself."

"Those both sound risky," argued Yuki.

"They are," replied Gary. "There is a possibility that your body will never completely reject or integrate the ghost cells and thus your hands will be damaged at some level. Since there isn't much data on psychic/humans and no data on psychic/ghost/humans I have no idea what evolution would entail."

I looked at my hands and thought. I remembered the moments when the ghost attacks of Shadow Punch and Shadow Claw manifested themselves. I remembered the pain. "I have had a brief glimpse at what a Ghost/Psychic could be. If I could use a ghost damping field to localize my hands then maybe I can see how they evolve. From that result I can make a decision about the rest of me."

"You are talking about using your hands for an experiment," replied Gary.

I telekinetically bandaged my hands as I replied, "Yes."

"Ghost suppression fields are neither cheap nor portable," argued Gary.

"Yes they are; I'm wearing them."

"Not for what you want to do."

"I've got people working on that," I replied. "They could be more successful if you'd share your data on those Pokemon cases."

Gary nodded.

"That's settled. I think we should go." Gary led us back to the front door. "Gary Oak, you may not have your grandfather's experience, yet. But if you keep banging away, I'm sure you'll be as big as he is someday."

"Thank you. The more that people believe that I don't measure up to him is just a testament to his greatness."

Yuki wanted to pee on herself.

"If you're curious and willing to experiment, I'm sure that you'll discover things that Sam Oak never dreamed of," I added for Yuki's benefit/misery.

"Thank you again," replied Gary as he extended a hand. Before he realized what he did, I telekinetically shook it.

Yuki and I made it to the bottom of the walk before she laughed. A ten-year old looked at Yuki strangely. Yuki's laugh disrupted the boy's consideration of starting Pokemon. "Don't mind her," I explained.

"I can't believe that you said those things," Yuki mentally laughed.

"Should I have looked in his mind to see if he knew?"

"No."

"Should we look in on Mrs. Ketchem?"

"And watch her Mr. Mime hose off the plaster in their house?"

"Unless you want to take the full measure of Sam Oak's greatness," I teased.

"We need to leave," insisted Yuki.

As we walked I pondered, "What if I gave Delia's Mr. Mime some training?"

"You think you can train a Pokemon better than a Ketchem?"

"Depends; Ash's Pokemon are sexually repressed and I doubt that Delia's could last in a Pokemon battle."

"But…" teased Yuki.

"Yeah," I replied as I shook my head.

"Now where? Back home?" asked Yuki.

I scratched at my bandages. "Not yet. I want to see Aura Sphere before I return."

Yuki did her best to telepathically scan the area. "Low level trainers and some bugs," she replied.

I queried my Poketch for gym leaders and Aura Sphere. "Maylene's Lucario," was the number one response.

"Care to take a quick trip to Veilstone City?"

"How quick?" asked Yuki.

I activated my teleport beacon program and teleported to the Viridian City Pokemon Center. Nurse Joy and the young trainers were startled by our sudden reappearance. I released Espeon from her Pokeball.

We walked to the Pokeball transfer machine. The trainers stared. Yuki felt embarrassed. I linked my Poketch to the transfer machine and opened a link to the Veilstone City Pokemon Center.

"Can you see the path?" I asked Espeon.

"Why do you call it a 'path'?" asked Yuki.

I took her hand and thought, "Because it is a path. It's not a phone or internet connection. It truly is a path."

"Whoa."

"At the other end is Veilstone. Here we go."

In two blinks of my mind's eye we were in Veilstone City.

"Is that what teleportation is?" asked Yuki.

"I've teleported you plenty of times. Haven't you been watching?"

"No."

"Excuse me," interrupted Nurse Joy.

"I'm just training my Espeon," I explained.

"Where did you teleport from?"

"Kanto."

Nurse Joy shut down and tried to contemplate what I said.

We left her and made inquires for Maylene's gym. An hour later we found an Aura Sphere flying from a park. We followed the Sphere's path to its origin and found a trainer and her Lucario.

"Maylene?" I asked.

"Yes," she replied.

"Sabrina from Saffron City," I replied with a slight bow. "This is Yuki."

"Hello."

"I'd like to learn Aura Sphere."

"Uh?"

"Your Lucario does know it, doesn't he?" I asked.

Lucario nodded.

"If you would?" I asked. I opened all my senses and watched.

Lucario took his stance, concentrated his energy into a ball between his paws. After a brief pause, he launched the ball into the sky.

"Again please." Lucario gathered his energy again. Before he launched the newest sphere I said, "Hold it please." I mimicked his stance and tried to focus my energy into a sphere. My sphere contained conflicting energies that cancelled each other out. I took my flask and drenched my bandages with kasib liquor then swallow a mouthful of the sticky stuff.

I coughed.

"Excuse me." I tried to focus my energy again. This time the ghost energy was suppressed, but my psychic energy corrupted the Aura Sphere which fizzled away.

"Um, how did you do that?" asked Maylene.

"Whatever I did wasn't successful," I replied.

"I mean how did you make that much progress where it took me years to get to that point?"

"I just followed Lucario's example," I replied. "That's how I learned Force Palm."

"Can you see auras?" asked Maylene.

"Auras?" asked Yuki.

"It's rather important to see auras before you make Aura Spheres," instructed Maylene.

Lucario woofed a confirmation.

"May I see through you?" I asked.

Lucario nodded.

I linked my mind to Lucario.

Maylene asked Yuki, "Isn't this cheating?"

"It has taken me twenty years of training to get to this point," I explained. I closed my eyes and saw the world through Lucario's senses; with them I saw that Maylene had a stronger aura than either Yuki or me.

"Developed," mentally corrected Lucario.

He then focused his senses on my hands.

"They are a mess," I noted. "Bits of my hands are turning into ghost. But I can still do Force Palm."

Lucario took his stance again but held his palms closer. I followed. I concentrated and performed Force Palm with both hands.

Through Lucario, I saw dark tendrils of ghost energy silhouetted against, and disrupting, the Force Palm energy. "This is probably why my Force Palm is so effective at paralysis," I thought.

Lucario suggested that I learn Shadow Ball instead.

"I'm trying not to use ghost energy."

"?"

"Well it hurts for one."

Lucario's mind flashed through many painful exercises that he endured.

"Pain may be part of your training, but I'm a psychic."

"Psychic Pokemon don't feel pain?" he asked.

"Of course we do."

"They don't get hurt in battles?"

"They get hurt."

"So why are you excused?"

A vision of Paul flashed in both our minds. I pulled off my bandages. "If I am truly the heir to the Shadow Throne, then I'm not letting this ghost energy do as it pleases. Lucario, would you mind sparring with me?"

Lucario grunted yes.

I broke my mental connection to the Fighting Pokemon. I put my hands together and concentrated. I recalled Grandma Agatha's training in astral projection and shifted my vision slightly to the ghost plane.

The kasib liquor made my vision swirl. I pushed through the painful memories and feelings and willed the ghost energy into a set of claws.

Lucario grinned.

I made a swipe at Lucario but he dodged it effortlessly. I followed up with a swing of my left, but he just slapped my hand and I stumbled.

"Yes I know I have no hand-to-hand combat experience," I huffed.

Lucario sighed, then shielded his forearms with Metal Claw and motioned for me to swing at his throat and not his arms. He still blocked me, but he seemed slightly pleased.

After I lost count of my strikes, he motioned for me to swing at his stomach, and to go faster.

The kasib liquor was making my head spin. I couldn't tell if I was getting better or worse with my Shadow Claw. In the end I was barely aware of anything…

I was shaking.

"Sabrina?" asked Yuki.

Correction: I was being shaken.

"Yuki?" I asked.

"You were just standing there," explained Yuki. "When you didn't come in for dinner, I figured that you were training. But when Lucario came in to get me, I found you out here like a statue."

I was subconsciously holding myself up. I turned off my telekinesis and slumped to the ground. My hands ached and my stomach growled.

I faded in and out of sleep as Yuki helped me inside Maylene's dojo, fed me put me down on a futon.

I dreamed of Shadow Claws: swing, swipe and follow through. Repeat. Lucario was barking orders. I could only feel the pain in my hands. Lucario barked more orders. Something was hitting my feet.

I opened my eyes. Lucario was standing at the foot of my futon. He held a practice gi and barked for me to get up. "This is how Yuki feels in the morning," I groaned as I got up. Lucario turned his head away. I noticed that I was naked. "Like you haven't seen this before," I teased.

"Who hasn't," mumbled Yuki in her sleep.

I took the offer clothes and dressed. I saw through the window that it wasn't light outside.

"If you make me carry buckets of water up flights of stairs, I'll tell Maylene that you've sneaking peeks at her," I threatened.

Lucario blushed then barked.

"Meditation is good," I replied.

I followed Lucario outside and to a stream. We followed the stream up to a waterfall that was two stories tall and wide enough to accommodate the dozen people and Pokemon who were mediating under it.

I found a spot and made myself comfortable. I sat and pushed myself away from all my cares and pains. At this state I could see that the ghost rifts in my hands had shifted a little toward my finger tips. I pressed my palms together and extended my Shadow Claws to split the waterfall. I only managed to split the water enough to keep my hands dry.

As I slowed my thoughts and breathing, the world outside became a distant buzz.

My hands were dry.

My body hibernated. A veil of psychic energy kept in my body heat.

My hands were dry.

Pain and time were meaningless.

My Shadow Claws were as long as my hands and my hands were dry.

I could sense the microrifts of ghost energy move.

I tried to merge the feeling of the Shadow Claws and sensation of my fingernails growing.

I felt my ghost energy reserves get close to spent. I opened my eyes. Yuki was sitting on the stream bank with dry clothes and a towel. "You missed breakfast," she informed me.

Everyone else had left. I left the waterfall and pulled off my wet clothes. I took the offered towel and asked, "Lunch?"

"In a few minutes."

"I'm surprised that Lucario didn't holdout longer."

"He got worried and came in to get me," explained Yuki.

"Seven hours. Not too bad," I commented as I looked at my Poketch.

"You can go days," remarked Yuki.

"I was practicing Shadow Claw."

"How are your hands?"

"They really, really sting," I hissed. "Remember last year when Chester got braces?"

"Ouch," shivered Yuki. "Every time he had those braces tightened everyone in my classroom could feel it."

I psychically wrung the water out of my hair then put on the dry gi.

"I'd figure that they would try to break you with something physical first," speculated Yuki.

"I used a little blackmail to get out of that. What about you?"

"I've been exercising the Pokemon, so I'm ready for lunch."

We joined Maylene's other students for lunch. The whispered buzz focused on me.

"I suppose that Psychics know how to mediate," offered Maylene as she offered to pour me some tea.

"Mediation is essential to any study of Pokemon," I replied as I held out my cup.

"Are there many waterfalls near Saffron City?"

"Public fountains in the park make a good substitute," joked Yuki.

"Lately I've gone for underwater meditation," I added.

"I wish you wouldn't," replied Yuki. "It's scary enough that you chain yourself to the bottom of the pool."

Maylene thought we were lying.

I took my tray of food and tea and walked outside and back to the waterfall. I psychically formed a dome over me and sat beneath the waterfall. I placed the tray on the damp, river stones and ate my lunch.

When I finished eating, I gave a slight bow, stood up and returned with my tray to the dining area.

The other students followed me back. To their unspoken questions I replied, "Twenty years of training. Lucario-sensei, what should we practice next? Please note that I pushed my ghost energy to the limit."

Lucario barked that I should practice Force Palm.

Outside and under the wide crown of a tree, there hung, "Thermos bottles?"

Maylene nodded. "The idea is that the inner bottle is protected from the physical shock of a hand strike." She punched a bottle and it swung on its rope. "But if you can project your energy into it…" Lucario stuck a bottle with his Force Palm and the cork popped out with a spray of water. "Then you get a result."

I telekinetically replaced the cork and asked, "How do you keep me from using psychic energy?"

Lucario smiled and wave a long rattan wand.

"I'm going to enjoy this," beamed Yuki.

"Enjoy it too much and you'll go through the same thing for Zen Headbutt and Psycho Cut," I retorted.

"You wouldn't…"

I gave Yuki an evil grin that made Lucario flinch.

I turned to Lucario with my palms up. I concentrated on my Force Palm, but there were still tendrils of ghost energy. "This training maybe too early," I offered.

"?" woofed Lucario.

"The ghost energy isn't under control."

"So we don't get to hit you on the head?" asked Yuki.

"It'd be pointless. Or do you want to try?" I growled.

Lucario shook his head then led us to a different training area. This area had bamboo poles of various thicknesses. He trimmed a pole with his Metal Claw.

"Good, I can practice Shadow Claw and Yuki can practice Psycho Cut."

"Me?"

"There is a Gallade here that knows it," offered Maylene.

"Oh no. One: I'm on vacation. Two: I'm taking care of your Pokemon as you lose yourself in training," explained Yuki. "Three: None of my Pokemon have arms, so I can't pass on what I learn."

I looked at my hands, then at the hands of other students in the area. I mentally sent an email to my R&D team, "ASAP: Fingerless gloves with ghost detection skin. Fingers need to be free, palms just need detection. Add psychic detection too if possible."

I extended my claws and swung at a bamboo pole. The pole shuddered but didn't break.

"If I knew this would happen, I would have left more of a reserve of energy," I commented.

Lucario barked that I should continue.

"Don't you have any physical training at your gym?" asked Maylene.

"Sadly, no," replied Yuki.

"You'll get your pool," I grunted as I swung again.

Lucario swung his rattan staff. I telekinetically redirected it to hit my rear. I broadcasted into Lucario's mind, "You enjoy that don't you? You dream of spanking Maylene's tight little ass."

"…!"

"You may be physically 'developed', but in here I am your mistress." I pulled Lucario's mind into the realm of dreams. I stood naked before him. "If you want to slap something against my ass, I think you'd enjoy using a different staff." I placed us on the battlefield of my gym; the stands were filled with copies of Maylene. "Should we try your Bone Rush next?"

"How? Where?"

"We are in my dreams. Is there anything that you dream of?" I changed my face and hair to Maylene.

"Why have you done this?"

"Self-defense: you hit me and I fight back," I explained.

"But you were training."

"Are you excused from training?" I asked. "You have almost no defense against Hypnosis." I switched to my archery clothes and restored my face. "There are many forms of Hypnosis. One of my favorites is temptation."

"I see."

I switched the scenery to a jungle clearing on Reef Island. Before us was a woman dressed as a Scizor as she had sex with a real Ampharos. "These are images of something that really happened. Don't you wish that you could do that with Maylene?"

"Stop."

"Before we return to the real world, remember this: Nobody pushes me harder than myself, because if I get pushed too far I will push back."

"Troublesome."

"Yes I am. Do you still want to spank me?"

"No."

I returned us to the real world. Maylene looked concerned since Lucario and I were frozen in place for a few seconds.

"Sabrina?" mentally asked Yuki.

"Lucario and I reached an understanding," I thought.

Lucario put the rattan staff down.

"What is going on?" asked Maylene.

"I came here to learn Aura Sphere to have something to do. The main obstacle is the chaotic nature of the ghost energy in my hands. Thus I need to control that first. Thank you for your time." I gave them a very slight bow and returned to the dojo. Inside I changed back to my clothes and gathered my pack.

"Why are we leaving so soon?" asked Yuki.

"I can practice on the road."

"Where are we going?" asked Yuki.

"It doesn't matter, as long as I get Poketch reception."

"What are you working on now?"

"Lucario got me thinking about Paul. Paul came to this gym and won a badge and he wasn't very gracious about it."

"Revenge?"

"No. Paul's victory hurt Maylene more than the Pokemon. Lucario feels pity for Paul's Pokemon and contempt for Paul."

"So do I," remarked Yuki.

"Now I know how I need to battle Paul, but you won't like it."

"Not in front of the students!"

"What?" I asked as I peeked in Yuki's mind. She envisioned me having sex with Paul's Pokemon. "No. I'm going to battle Paul the same way that I battled Master Kiyo: personally. Before you argue, it is still on the books."

"You'll get hurt," sighed Yuki.

I waved my hands to Yuki.

Yuki shrugged and said, "You have become a masochist." We walked further. "Is it worth it?"

"Worth what?"

"Paul has been like this for years; is it worth the risk to change him?"

"This is about more than Paul. This is for the Pokemon like Lucario who were used by Paul in his quest for power."

"Is it also penance for you using humans?"

I thought about that then said, "Yes."

"It won't be like beating Kiyo's fighting Pokemon. Paul does have dark types."

"That is why Aura Sphere is so important."

"I don't like it."

I smiled and said, "I know. Give me some credit for self-preservation. If you honestly think that I couldn't battle safely then I won't. You have that right as a referee."

"Then you better start training," remarked Yuki as she gave me a light punch to my arm.

[Error in recording]

"What the hell happened?" asked Yuki.

I knelt down to collect my clothes and Poketch. "What do you think happens when you use a Pokeball?"

"That's not supposed to happen to humans!"

"I'm placing an order for those T-shirts now," I replied as I sent an email, "T-shirts and tank tops, random colors, 'Because I'm Psychic', sizes children to adults, five of each size."

Yuki was tapping herself with her Pokeball and said, "It doesn't work on me."

I was dressing myself in the middle of the road. "That just shows that you need to grow as a psychic. I hitchhike on the Pokeball transfer network. I can teleport and astrally project. I doubt that I hatched from an egg, but in every other way I am subject to Pokeballs."

"You could be captured?"

"I did that to myself already."

"Then why did this work?"

"The capture program didn't work, just the storage," I pointed out. "Perhaps because I'm not the same as I was. Maybe I teleported too much and built up a charge." I shrugged. "Try it again."

Yuki gingerly tapped me with the Pokeball. Nothing happened. "Problem solved," I joked as I finished dressing.

"Mossdeep girls are spooky?" asked Yuki.

I extended my Shadow Claws and used them to pull my sunglasses down. I gave Yuki a wicked smile and flashed my red eyes. I winked and my eyes returned to normal.

"Could you add to the T-shirts, 'I'm not the spawn of hell'?" asked Yuki, "For my benefit."

I laughed.

"Are you going to use Shadow Claws in battle?"

"I know that I'm limited with hand-to-hand combat. I'll switch to Shadow Ball, but for the moment Shadow Claw is helpful in controlling the microrifts."

"Then get to work," barked Yuki as she released her Lunatone.

My Espeon instinctively emerged from her Pokeball.

We moved off the road to a small clearing in the woods.

"Ready?" asked Yuki.

I nodded. Before Yuki could give a command, I teleported next to Lunatone and hit with my Shadow Claws. Lunatone didn't even flinch yet retaliated with Psychic. I was pushed back.

"Espeon!" ordered my Pokemon.

I mentally replied, "I'm trying to practice Shadow Claw."

Espeon pointed out that I'm in a battle and not sparring. I glanced to Espeon and saw that she had taken a position as the other trainer. I smiled and put up my Protect which took the full force of Lunatone's Psychic.

I turned and faced my opponent. Lunatone and Yuki were waiting for my Protect to drop. An Ice Beam struck the second my shield fell. I shrugged off the cold. Espeon ordered me to run to my left. I lost my footing in the forest duff. Lunatone launched another Ice Beam. Espeon ordered me to kick up more debris. The fine, dry mulch was hit by the Ice Beam and exploded into a fog of fine ice crystals.

I Teleported near Lunatone and hit with Force Palm. Lunatone staggered from the paralysis.

"I thought that you were going to practice Shadow Claw."

"Espeon is acting as my trainer," I pointed out.

"You are taking orders?"

"Suggestions," I corrected.

Yuki and Espeon rolled their eyes.

"Espeon won't be allowed as trainer in your battle with Paul if she uses her Future Sight," explained Yuki as she recalled Lunatone.

"Maybe I should battle Paul in a two-on-two."

"Want to try some surf and turf?" asked Yuki as she held her Starmie and Claydol Pokeballs.

I considered my chances: Espeon's move list is defensive. Froslass is too rough. Poliwag and Spoink are too inexperienced. Rotom's electrical attacks would be useless against Claydol, but overall Rotom was the best choice.

"I need to learn something better than Shadow Claw," I replied. "I also need to get the ghost energy under control." I extended my Shadow Claws.

Yuki could sense the pain that I was suppressing so she put away her Pokeballs. We returned to the road and continued to walk.

I let Poliwag and Spoink out of their Pokeballs. Watching them discover the world, and picking up the stray pearl, was the best kind of distraction.

My Poketch calculated that we'd be at a Pokemon Center in an hour.

A truck skidded to a halt in front of us. Out of the sleeper cab stumbled Monty, a.k.a. Stanley Montgomery. "Yuki, may I present Monty one of my chief researchers?"

"Hi."

"Miss Sabrina, I finished the prototype that you wanted," huffed Monty. He urged me towards his truck like a little boy. In the bed of the pickup was a scary collection of machines. He dug through the spare parts and tool and wrestled out …

"What is that?" asked Yuki.

"This is a portable ghost energy dampening system, with ghost and psychic energy detection," explained Monty.

The device looked like an oversized pair of clown pants that was made of smashed computers and dipped in lead.

"Portable?" asked Yuki.

"Yuki, it's okay. Monty just over engineers things; I'm used to it."

"How is that portable?"

"Because it is connected to a portable generator," I observed.

Monty scrambled to make room in the pickup bed by cramming his tools and spare parts back into packing crates. I recalled my little Pokemon before I wiggled my way into the device, which was marked with directions. As expected I couldn't move. The sleeves were rigid and the whole device weighed over 50 kilograms. I lost my balance and fell backwards on the pickup bed.

"Monty, issue number one: weight. I think ten kilograms should be the upper limit of weight."

"Yes, ma'am," he replied as he scribbled on his notes.

"Number two: size. Could you make it smaller so I have the use of my wrists and elbows?"

"I was concerned about the lack of movement so I installed a heating system and massager," replied Monty.

"I suppose that we should test the suppression field now."

Gleefully Monty pulled the started cable on the generator. Yuki and I were both nervous as Monty revved the engine. He flipped a switched and I screamed, "Turn it off!"

Rotom and Froslass had similar sentiments as they shrieked and escaped their Pokeballs.

Monty scrambled to turn off the generator then thought to flip the electrical switch.

Rotom and Froslass peeked from the safety of the trees.

"Are you okay?" asked Yuki.

"It felt like it was trying to rip the skin off my hands."

"I'm so sorry Miss Sabrina," apologized Monty.

"Is there a low setting?" I asked.

"Not yet," Monty apologized further.

"Work on that first. I can't have my Pokemon running off and I can't afford to have the skin ripped off my hands either."

"Do you want to try the other options?" he asked hopefully.

"Not now, but thank you."

"But…"

"Monty, you have built a system that is much more powerful than it needs to be, and knowing you, you have compensated for the size by putting in many extras like the heaters. If we can determine how much power is really needed, will that give you a better idea of the needed size and weight?"

"Yes sensei."

"I have mircorifts of ghost energy in my hands. I want to control and suppress them. I doubt that I need a whole body machine for that." I wiggled out of the device and staggered to the trees where my Ghost Pokemon took refuge. "It was a good first attempt Monty," I called back.

Yuki followed while Monty was left to his fantastic little world of machines.

I reached my Pokemon. "Let's keep moving," I whispered.

Yuki caught up and mentioned, "He called you 'sensei'."

"Yes Monty did train at the gym."

"He's psychic?"

"He is a Future Sight user and focuses on machines and predicting the chaotic. His first Pokemon is a Spinda. I remember how he would stare at his Pokemon for hours and try to predict which way Spinda would stumble. He is brilliant, but he has a problem of being too brilliant. He once redesigned my Poketch, but it needed a backpack to carry everything."

"Everything?" prompted Yuki.

"Extra batteries, coffee maker, transmitter… I can't remember everything he tried to put into it. I suppose that if he designed the first automobile it would come with an oil well and refinery."

"That's brilliant?"

"It would work if he built it."

"Like that straight jacket you just tried," argued Yuki.

"It may work too well, but it works. That's why he's on the payroll. Besides I can't let him loose on the streets, who knows what kind of mischief he would invent?"

"Like new toys for Jean?"

"Does Monty look like the type of person who would know what Jean would do with her toys?" I asked.

"No."

"Considering that Monty designs by building big then scaling back, would you like to put something he built in your body?"

I did a quick internet search for vibrators. "Did you know that vibrators are used for concrete work, patching potholes and sorting gravel?"

"Ow," winced Yuki.

"Jean would wake the whole neighborhood if she played with one of those…"

"Don't tell me that you used one," sighed Yuki.

"I can't remember. Either I used a vibrator or a jackhammer in 'Samantha: Working Girl'." I pantomimed holding onto a shaking handle as it bounced below my breasts.

"Jackhammer," replied Yuki.

"Now I get the joke someone made about jacking off."

"That's a bit slow for you."

"Samantha's persona is that of a ditzy pornstar; she isn't supposed to be quick witted. Aren't you glad that you left Mossdeep for all this?"

"Makes me feel normal," joked Yuki.

A familiar pickup truck careened down the road. "Was that a Spinda driving?"

"Probably."

"Is that safe, or legal?"

"Probably not, but as Future Sight users they shouldn't hit anything," I speculated.

"Shouldn't?"

I released my Espeon and said to her, "Keep your sight open for those two."

An hour later we found Monty parked outside the Pokemon Center. "Is it ready yet?" I asked.

"I installed a rheostat so I can control the power, but I haven't finished the feedback systems, diagnostics and scanners."

"After dinner then?" To Yuki I thought, "He forgets to eat."

Monty and Spinda were lost in their work. Yuki and I went in had the Pokemon checked. After we all had something to eat, I brought Monty and his Spinda something to eat. I went back in and found Yuki watching through the window. "Mind your thoughts," I warned. "He can invent subconsciously and picks up other people's intentions."

"I think he finished," guessed Yuki.

I took a deep breath and went outside.

"It's ready for another test," offered Monty. He opened the 'improved' device like an iron maiden. I laid down and he closed the lid. I tried to relax as he started the portable generator. Moments later there was a low hum from the machine and a slight smell of something burning.

"How does that feel?"

"I don't feel anything."

"I'm going to bring up the gain. If you feel something, please say so."

I focused on my hands while I waited, and waited. "Monty, how long will it take to get up to the power level that you tried earlier?"

I waited for Monty to do the calculations. "Ten days," he replied.

"Are you doing this linearly, again?"

"I'm sorry sensei, I forgot." He adjusted his computer and controls. "I'll double the gain every five seconds."

The humming and burning smells were bothering me, so I didn't notice the first jolt. I noticed when the power doubled again and said, "I feel it."

"Is it uncomfortable?"

"No. Yes! Stop ramping up the power Monty."

"Sorry," he coughed. I felt the pressure in my hands recede as the power was cut off.

"Can you make the next model smaller?" I asked.

"Smaller?"

"How big does the device have to be just to generate that level of a field and focus on my hands?"

"A little bigger than a Poketch," he speculated. "Are you sure you don't want the massage units?" Monty looked disappointed.

"One unit for each wrist with ghost suppression and repulsion field generators to push the rifts towards my finger tips. I'd like scanners to record any changes in my hands. While you're at it, incorporate my custom designed Poketch into the model."

"Yes sensei," beamed Monty. Even his Spinda smiled. Monty and his Spinda drifted into their little world of super science.

I sighed.

"Monty," I said to get his attention

"Yes?" he replied, hoping that I wanted even more features.

"Let me out of this."

"Sorry sensei," he replied as he undid the latch.

I climbed out of his truck and walked into the Pokemon Center. Froslass and Rotom were peeking from behind the sofa.

"It should be safe now," I said to assure them.

"Froslass?" asked my new Ghost.

"This isn't about revenge," I replied. "I just want some technology to help control my ghost energy."

Froslass returned to her observation of Monty's strange world of technology.

"Are you going to leave him out there?" asked Yuki.

"He can fend for himself. Besides, that truck is loaded with everything that he needs," I replied.

"Everything?"

"If he needed clean clothes and a shower, it would have been installed before he left Saffron City. When he was a student, he was always clean and well kept."

"Now…" mused Yuki.

Monty stopped his work and sniffed himself.

"I told you to control your thoughts," I noted. "He is sensitive."

Monty shrugged and returned to his work.

"Bedtime," I announced.

The Pokemon were put back in their Pokeballs. Yuki took the top bunk in our dorm room. Espeon curled into a tight ball near my feet.

"Froslass was actually afraid," observed Yuki.

"I'm from this century and I was afraid," I noted.

"How are your hands?"

I shifted my senses to my hands and reported, "No worse than the new 'normal'."

"Is that bad or good?"

"That doesn't matter. What matters is how I deal with it. Goodnight."

"Esp," remarked my Pokemon.

"Goodnight Espeon," replied Yuki.

I entered a light trance and concentrated on pushing the ghost rifts toward my fingertips. Espeon felt uncomfortable, so she moved and curled into a ball next to my head.

"Sorry."

Espeon stroked my forehead with her tail and entered her own trance as she watched over me.

Hopefully Monty would sense what I was trying to do.

Morning: Espeon was still there keeping watch. Yuki was in the other bunk and sound asleep. I felt a mix of anticipation and dread with regard to what Monty might have invented in the night.

"?"

"I'm going to get cleaned up. Care to join me?"

Espeon nodded.

I donned a bathrobe, went out to the lobby and bought some Pokemon shampoo from the vending machine. We were up before the cafeteria was open and had the women's showers and bath to ourselves. Washing Espeon was painful, but remembering what my fingers were supposed to feel was therapeutic. Once clean, Espeon and I climbed into the tub and soaked.

"?"

"I'm not worried that Monty can't make a machine to do what I ask. I'm worried that the machine won't help control the ghost energy. Maybe I'm deluding myself that the microrifts have moved. Maybe I need to go back to the ghost dimension and expose my hands again."

Espeon was concerned that I may be losing myself confidence.

"We'll have to spar later to see if I lost my edge," I offered. I telekinetically lifted a sphere of bathwater. I gazed into the globe and joked, "What does my future hold?"

A tiny, upside-down image of a girl appeared. I lowered the ball of water. A young trainer apologized, "I'm sorry. I didn't think that anyone would be up."

"It's okay, there's plenty of room for two more," I replied.

The girl's Chimchar peeked at me from behind his trainer.

"Is Chimchar your first Pokemon?" I asked.

"Yup," replied the girl. Her freckles matched her Pokemon's red-orange fur. "Is Espeon your first Pokemon?" she asked as she washed her Pokemon's back.

"My first Pokemon was an Abra, but she stays at home and helps to train the young ones."

The girl concentrated on washing Chimchar so to avoid getting his fire glands wet or irritated. Her Pokemon sighed, "Char," as his back was scrubbed.

"A little higher," I commented.

"What?"

"Work his back a little higher. Higher. There, that's the spot," I instructed. "Good, now follow the curve of his shoulder blades and finish with his shoulders."

"How do you know so much about Chimchar?" asked the girl.

Chimchar's mind was a puddle of bliss.

"We can just sense what Chimchar is feeling," I explained.

"That's right, Espeon is a psychic type," recalled the girl.

"Very good. By the way, I'm Sabrina and this is my Espeon."

"My name is Samantha, but everyone calls me Sam. And this is Chimchar."

Chimchar's mind became lucid as the massage wore off. "Chimchar!" he greeted.

Sam rinsed herself off and shyly got in the tub. Chimchar followed, but sat on the edge and just put in his feet. He made sure that Sam was still between him and me.

"So are you a trainer or a coordinator?" I asked.

The undercurrent of apprehension swelled in the girl as she said, "I don't know."

"Have you entered a contest or battled a gym leader?"

"No."

"Then it is okay to be undecided," I tried to make that sound soothing.

"Really?"

"Do you ski?"

"Sure."

"Cross country or downhill?" I asked.

"Both."

"I have never skied. Should I be afraid? Should I worry about trying the 'wrong' kind?"

"Skiing isn't scary. You have to be careful of trees and rocks and stay on the marked paths, but it's safe."

I smiled and said, "Assume that I said the same things about Pokemon Contests and Gym Battles."

"But…"

"No buts. Have fun. Would you ski if you didn't have fun? No. Contests and Gym Battles are how you test the skills of your Pokemon, but first you have to discover those skills. To do that, you have to have fun and Chimchar has to have fun."

"Char!" cheered the little fire type.

"But there has to be more than just fun," argued Sam.

"Of course, there's hard work, dedication even luck. But that's easy compared friendship, trust and communication. When you washed Chimchar's back and he responded, you showed that two already have a great foundation of friendship and trust. Expand that friendship to other Pokemon that you catch, and other trainers that you meet. That is how you grow."

"Are you a coordinator or a trainer?" asked Sam.

"I'm a gym leader."

"Really!?"

"Don't be shocked, there are plenty of gym leaders."

"Can we have a battle?"

I patted my thighs and said, "I must have left my badges in my other pockets."

Sam giggled.

"Well I better go and get dressed." I stood up and telekinetically covered myself with a towel. I leaned close to Sam and said, "Stay right there and don't move."

I walked over to my bathrobe. I dropped the towel and donned the robe. After I secured the sash, I cracked my knuckles. I summoned all my strength into my Force Palm and slapped the wall. A meter wide hole opened. On the other side were two naked boys, their faces were covered in powdered plaster and smashed tiles.

"Care to explain what you were doing?" I asked.

Both boys froze in place. One lost control of his bladder. Sam shrieked.

"I have an Espeon and we could sense you watching us," I explained.

Nurse Joy burst into the room. "Sorry about the mess Nurse Joy. There were some little holes in the wall, so when I leaned on it, it just crumbled."

"Is anyone hurt?"

The boys thought to cover themselves. They shook their heads.

"Just shocked," I explained.

"I better go call a repairman," replied the Nurse as she left.

I telekinetically locked the doors on both the boy's and girl's side. I stepped to the side and said, "Apologize."

"Sorry," muttered the boys.

"I just covered for you. But we know that you were spying. So you will climb through this hole, kowtow and apologize to the young lady."

The boys did their best to climb and cover themselves. To their credit, they got on their knees, put their foreheads on the floor and said, "Please forgive us."

"Sam, do you accept their apology?"

"Sure; I've got three brothers so I'm used to it."

"Then why did you scream?"

"You smashed the wall with a single punch!" observed the girl.

I looked at the covering boys with their naked butts quivering in the air then the hole in the wall. Espeon rolled her eyes. "Oh. Anyway you boys will think twice before you try that again."

"Yes ma'am."

"Then get out of here and go get dressed."

The boys scrambled out as fast as they could. "Can I get out now?" asked Sam.

I nodded and returned to my room.

"Now what?" muttered Yuki in her sleep.

"I may have overreacted to a pair of peeping toms."

"They should have paid."

I hit Yuki with a pillow.

"What?" asked Yuki as she sat upright. "Ow!" she added as she hit her head on the ceiling.

"I guess we both learned a lesson about overreacting."

"That's not funny," grumbled Yuki as she rubbed her head.

I recalled the image of the two boys as the wall crumbled around them.

"That is funny," giggled Yuki.

"Espeon," commented my Pokemon as she recalled how I looked as I realized my mistake.

"That is even better," laughed Yuki as she got dressed.

"I was trying to protect the girl."

"What girl?"

"Sam; she's a new trainer with a Chimchar."

"Sam…?"

"Samantha."

"So you assumed that someone named Samantha doesn't like to be watched."

"I assumed that a ten-year old should have a certain amount of privacy and a feeling of security when in the bath. Then she said she had three brothers and she didn't mind."

"Your day hasn't been going well," observed Yuki.

There was a knock on the door as Monty burst in. Yuki had just finished dressing, but she was still upset.

"I hope my day gets better," I smiled.

Monty and his Spinda wheeled in a cart that had what looked like the most extreme set of handcuffs. They were thick, heavy and black. "Why is there a wire between them?" I asked as I tried to pick up a cuff.

"I didn't have time to install a secure wireless connection," explained Monty.

"This is heavy."

"All I had were lead acid batteries. The next one will have an advanced lithium battery and be a lot lighter."

"Black?"

"Solar cells," he replied. "Not on this model, but I wanted you to see how the next one would look."

I stood the cuffs on edge and placed my wrists into their clutches. Monty gleefully closed and latched the bracelets.

"It has the same Poketch features as your current model, but on the main menu there is an option for 'Field Control'."

I looked at the little screen and said, "I see it."

"Under that menu you should see sub menus for Generator and Diagnostics."

I went to the Generator menu and turned on the cuffs. I couldn't feel anything happening. There was a power level control that was set to low. I turned up the power until my fingers tingled. The screen responded by stating I had seven hours of power remaining.

"Will this also monitor the movement of the ghost rifts?"

"That's under Diagnostics."

I went to the menu. It didn't show any progress, yet. It did show the relative strength of the suppression field relative to my hand.

"This is very good Monty."

"Thank you sensei."

"But I get the feeling that you rushed this job. If you wanted better batteries, you would just put them in."

"Well, I … I didn't think that I'd have the time because the Saffron Consumer Electronics Show was next week…"

"Do you have a chaperone? I know how you used your entire expense account at the show two years ago."

"Michele from accounting was going to be my chaperone."

"Good. Since you're going back to Kanto, you can make the next model before the show and I'll try it when I get home."

"Yes ma'am," he replied. Spinda did a stumbling salute then the two of them dashed out of the room with their cart.

I tried to lift my hand to my face.

"Heavy?" asked Yuki.

"Ten kilograms," I observed, "each. In the next email, I'll request ten kilograms in total as the maximum. That is based upon if this machine even works."

"You're going to wear that? In public?"

"I just smashed the wall in the showers with Force Palm; I'm already in the weird class."

"Your T-shirts are really going to complement that ultra-bondage image you've got there."

I telekinetically lifted my arms and placed my hands on Yuki's shoulders. I let the full weight of the cuffs press down on Yuki.

I smiled. "Next time that I suggest that you train more as a psychic, what will you do?" I asked.

"Upgrade my insurance policy," joked Yuki.

I sighed and asked, "Why is this stupid cable so long?"

"I think that you're supposed to run the cord up one sleeve then down the other."

"Brilliant engineer but sees the world as a five year old."

"Is that why he has to have a chaperone?"

I compared the size of the cuff to cuff size of my shirt. I tugged at the cord and it came unplugged. I snaked the cord under my shirt and plugged in the cuffs. "How do I look?" I asked.

"Uncomfortable," replied Yuki as she adjusted my collar.

"Come in," I said before Nurse Joy could knock on the door. When she did I said, "I'm willing to pay for the damages to the wall. Just send the bill to the Saffron City Gym."

"Thank you. Um, what happened?"

"I caught a pair of peeping toms. After what I put them through, I'd like to consider the matter closed."

"With a big hole in the wall," added Yuki.

Nurse Joy sighed, "I had worse; I just didn't expect a gym leader to break things."

"I've done much worse."

"Nurse Joy!?" called out a trainer from the lobby.

Nurse Joy ran off to deal with the next crisis.

Something was weighing on my mind. "He painted on the solar panels, used cheap batteries and patch cord that doesn't have a waterproof connection," I observed.

"What's the matter?" asked Yuki.

"Monty never does work that is this sloppy."

"Maybe he was distracted by the convention," speculated Yuki.

"There has to be more to it… Michele from accounting! I thought that he said Michal from accounting. Monty has a date."

"Surprise!"

"Yes I am. I am also sending an email to the head of accounting to lock both of their expense accounts to 100000 Pokedollars."

"Don't you trust him?"

"No. I don't mean that in a bad way. But would you trust a group of six year olds to guard a roomful of candy?"

Yuki's mind flashed through several scenarios that involved her youngest students. "I get your point."

Eventually, I managed to walk outside. "I feel like my arms are stretching. I'll be dragging my knuckles on the ground pretty soon."

Yuki was picturing a Slowking with my hairstyle.

"Thanks."

"You're welcome," chimed Yuki.

"Um, Miss Sabrina?"

"Yes Sam?"

"Can we have a battle now?"

"Very well." We moved to the practice field. Sam released her Chimchar. I released my Spoink. "Since your Pokemon hasn't evolved into a fighting type, this should be an even match."

"Ready?" asked Yuki. "Begin."

"Chimchar: Ember!"

"Psywave," I responded.

Spoink's energy forced its way through the flames and struck Chimchar, but Spoink bounced up and caught some of the scattered Embers.

"Scratch!"

"Use Psybeam and push him back."

Chimchar charged. Spoink used Psybeam, but as he bounced he shot the bulk of the beam over Chimchar. Chimchar in turn connected sent Spoink reeling. Of course, Spoink dropped his pearl and got distracted.

"Bounce!" I ordered but it was too late.

"Ember!" The flames hit Spoink in the back. Spoink stumbled and hit his head on his pearl.

I recalled Spoink just as Yuki said, "Spoink is unable to continue."

"Thank you Sam. Because of our battle, I know what I need my Pokemon to practice."

"Um, you're welcome. Do I get a badge?"

"Yuki didn't announce that this was for a badge," I pointed out.

"Oh."

"If badge battles were that easy then who would want them?" I asked. "You worked up your courage and asked me for a battle, next you need to build a strong team and train."

"Yes ma'am."

"Then I challenge you for a badge!" I had to focus on the challenger's face and recognized him from the bathroom.

"You are…?"

"I'm Nathan from Veilstone City."

I nodded.

"This will be a three-on-three battle for a Marsh Badge between Nathan from Veilstone City and the Saffron City Gym Leader Sabrina," announced Yuki. "There is no time limit and only the challenger will be allowed to make a substitution."

Nathan released his Prinplup. I released Rotom.

"Ready?" We both nodded. "Begin."

I mentally ordered, "Discharge."

Rotom's lightning hit Prinplup before Nathan could call out, "Bubblebeam."

"Shadow Ball, to knock him off balance," I thought to Rotom. The Shadow Ball struck at Prinplup's feet and knocked him back. Before Prinplup could hit the ground, Nathan recalled the Pokemon and released Roselia.

Nathan ordered, "Leach Seed."

"Shadow Ball."

Both attacks connected.

"Rotom," muttered my Pokemon as a fraction of his energy was leached away.

"Signal Beam," I thought then added, "We'll use our secret weapon on his third Pokemon."

The Signal Beam struck home as Nathan ordered Magical Leaf. Rotom staggered.

"Roselia is unable to continue," announced Yuki as the said Pokemon came to rest outside the battlefield.

Roselia was recalled and a Shinx was released. It bared its teeth at Rotom.

Rotom was nervous.

"Pain Split," I thought. Rotom moved to the other Pokemon's blind spot and took a share of its power. "Shadow Ball."

As Rotom tried to follow through, it dawn on us that Shinx didn't have a very high energy level to begin with and that Pain Split was wasted.

Shinx used her Bite on the Shadow Ball and forced her way through to Rotom. The Bite and Leach Seed were too much for my Pokemon. "You were very brave," I thought as Rotom fell unconscious.

"Rotom is unable to continue!"

I recalled Rotom.

"Esp," declared my Pokemon. I glanced down. She held up her forked tail and winked at me. I nodded.

Espeon entered the field.

"Continue!"

Espeon used her most subtle Future Sight attack. Nathan recalled his Shinx and released his worn Prinplup. Espeon wasn't surprised by the move and a moment later she unleashed her full power Psychic attack as I closed my eyes. When I opened my eyes, I saw that Espeon was sitting at the head of a long gouge in the clay battlefield. The gouge extended beyond the battlefield and into the forest undergrowth. Tangled amongst the loose sod and broken branches was Prinplup.

Yuki announced the obvious, "Prinplup is unable to continue."

"You didn't hit Prinplup with your full power, did you?" I thought.

Espeon lowered half of her forked tail.

Nathan released his Shinx. Shinx did her best to intimidate Espeon, but the Future Sight attack hit the ground. The energy silently forged a crater beneath Shinx's feet. A split second later the energy bounced back and struck Shinx with an earthen thud.

"Shinx is unable to continue. The match goes to Sabrina."

Sam, Nathan and the other young trainers were stunned. Espeon and I telekinetically replaced our divots.

"Why did you hold back when you battled me?" asked Sam.

"My reputation as a gym leader wasn't on the line. Since I had new Pokemon that I haven't had in battles, I needed a chance to test them."

"Oh," muttered Sam as she tried to comprehend what I said.

"Learn from your friend's battle. He had some good ideas: such as using Shinx's intimidate and Roselia's Leach Seed. That shows forward thinking. I even made a mistake. Did anyone see?" I asked the crowd.

Their minds were still focused on Espeon's display of sheer power. But there was one girl was trying to understand what Rotom did. I pointed to her and asked, "What's on your mind?"

"What was that attack that Rotom used on Shinx?"

"That was Pain Split," I replied. "Rotom doesn't normally learn that move, but we went through some effort to tutor my Pokemon."

Yuki blushed.

"The mistake was that I was holding that move as a surprise, but then used it on a Shinx that was lower leveled than Nathan's other Pokemon. Thus Rotom didn't get enough energy to ward off the Leach Seed and defeat Shinx. If this wasn't a gym battle, I could have just recalled my Pokemon and break the Leach Seed."

"So why did I lose?" asked Nathan.

"You relied on Prinplup's defense to take an electrical attack, yet ignored type disadvantage. You used Leach Seed on an injured Pokemon so that wouldn't be as effective. Your Shinx's intimidate ability isn't as effective if my Pokemon rely on special attacks. If your Roselia battled my Espeon, who would have the disadvantage?"

"Roselia," muttered Nathan.

"When your Pokemon evolve and get stronger I think we would have a more even match; because when Prinplup evolves…"

"It becomes a steel type," concluded Sam.

"Very good. Now I think there are some Pokemon that need to see Nurse Joy." I added as I turned to go inside. I spied a person that stood above the crowd of children. He had long and curly hair. His glasses caught the light, which in turn caught my eye.

"Shall we have a little match?" he asked.

"Lucian?" I asked for confirmation. He did his best to shield his thoughts as he nodded.

"I only have my junior team with me," I stated.

"Espeon is on your 'junior team'?"

"She's my bodyguard."

Lucian dropped his guard as he looked over my body. He was mentally comparing the apparent strength of my Espeon to his Pokemon: Bronzong, Girafarig, Alakazam and a just evolved Jynx.

"I'll battle your Jynx," I offered.

Lucian suppressed a flinch then asked, "What Pokemon will you use?"

"I said that _I'll battle_ her."

I unplugged and unlatched my new damper cuffs. I put them down at the edge of the battlefield along with my pack, Pokeball belt and Kadabra's Pokeball from around my neck.

"Are you on the 'junior team'?" asked the guarded Lucian.

"This will be my second battle," I offered.

He released his Jynx.

I took my position. I projected my Shadow Claws. I couldn't tell if there was any change in their power. Jynx looked at me with wide eyes.

"Are both sides ready?" asked Yuki.

I nodded.

Jynx put on her game face. Lucian nodded.

"Begin!"

"Blizzard," ordered Lucian.

I teleported between Lucian and Jynx. Before Lucian could recover, I raked Jynx's back. She had the sense to pivot and catch my left side with some of her Blizzard. My side stung, but I countered by pushing myself forward with raw psychic energy and giving Jynx's back one more scratch.

Something exploded. I tried to teleport away from the blast.

[Error in Recording]

Code B5E35 Out of range

Code 845A6 System failure

Code FE91B Unable to translate

_Hello, Sabrina? It's me, Yuki. I don't know if this is working, but I'm using Kadabra to record my thoughts to your journal. I don't know if you can read this where you are. If you can, please call or something._

_Sabrina, it's been eight hours since you disappeared. I called your Grandmother. She's coming on the jet with your parents. Rotom possessed your new Poketch/damper things and claimed that it reacted and exploded. Where are you? Please be safe._

_It's been twelve hours. I told your Grandmother and father what we think happened. Monty is coming back with "special equipment". All your Pokemon are here and are safe. Rotom feels really sorry. _

_Please come back._


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Yuki's Plight

Yuki Cellars: psychic. The word psychic needs clarification. Yuki lives in a world with Pokemon, so in this world psychic can mean a type of Pokemon or a type of Pokemon move. In both of those cases psychic refers to the type, nature and origin of power. Yuki isn't a Pokemon. Rather she was born as a human but has been developing her psychic abilities over the years by training with others like her.

Still the word psychic is too broad. Unlike psychic Pokemon, which develop quickly and can manifest their psychic nature into various forms, Yuki has spent almost twenty years working with her ability and has reached a competent level of telepathy (which is similar to a Pokemon's Hypnosis).

Compared to a Pokemon, Yuki's achievement would be disappointing; but compared to what most human psychics can do, Yuki is a fine psychic. So using Yuki as a standard it should be noted that when 'psychic' is used to describe a human, it doesn't mean a person who has the power levels of a well trained Pokemon, or a person who can use their psychic energy to perform miracles.

There was an exception: Sabrina. Sabrina was the gym leader of the Saffron City Gym. She was the heir to a long lineage of psychics that once ruled Saffron City and much of Kanto as Daimyo. Sabrina considered herself to be a psychic first and rarely admitted to being human; her power levels rivaled Pokemon and would personally battle them. Sabrina's abilities manifested themselves as telepathy, telekinesis and teleportation.

Sabrina was special. Sabrina was also Yuki's inspiration. Sabrina showed that limitations were nothing when faced with dedication and hard work. Sabrina was Yuki's inspiration, then later, teacher, boss, friend and lover.

All of that changed eight hours ago. Eight hours ago Sabrina was in a training battle when a device that she commissioned exploded. During the explosion, Sabrina disappeared. She left behind her friend and her Pokemon.

Yuki had her Pokemon search the woods surrounding the Pokemon Center where the explosion took place. She had every person in the area open their Pokeballs, on the off chance that Sabrina was in one of them. Panic slowly crept up from Yuki's stomach. Yuki organized one of the largest manhunts in this region of Sinnoh as she compelled every trainer whose Pokemon had a nose to search for Sabrina's scent.

Eight hours and there was still no sign of a most conspicuous psychic. Yuki swallowed her fears and called one of the few people that Sabrina looked up to, her Grandmother Lilith.

"Yuki, is everything alright?" asked Lilith when she saw Yuki's face on videophone.

"Sabrina is missing. She was in a battle and there was an explosion. She disappeared. I've sent Pokemon out to check the woods, but it's been eight hours. She left her Pokemon behind and I know she'd never leave them. Maybe she'd leave me, but…" Yuki was on the edge of hysteria.

"Yuki get a hold of yourself," replied Lady Lilith in the same stern tones that she used on Sabrina.

"Yes, ma'am."

"What was the nature of the explosion?"

"Sabrina was having problems with ghost rifts in her hands, so she had Monty make dimensional dampers that she could wear. She took them off when she was in the battle. Rotom told me that he possessed one of the cuffs and it overloaded and exploded. Sabrina disappeared during the explosion. She may have teleported, but I can't tell."

"Yuki, stay calm and focused. This isn't the first time that Sabrina has had a teleport accident. I need you to stay there and act as a beacon. Mentally call for Sabrina. I'll be there as soon as I can with help. Can you be strong for Sabrina?"

"Yes ma'am," replied Yuki as she dried her cheeks.

Yuki hung up and went out to the practice field. She sat next to Sabrina's last known location and mentally called, "Sabrina." As her Pokemon came back from their search, they joined their trainer added their thoughts to the call.

Almost three hours later, and 30000 feet up, Lilith could hear Yuki's call as her plane searched for a place to land. There was a landing strip a few miles away where the plane touched down. Three people got off the plane and carried boxes of equipment to a waiting truck.

As the trio rode towards the Pokemon Center their hearts grew heavy. The truck stopped near the practice field and the three people that Yuki most dreaded and needed to see got out of the truck. First was Lady Lilith, Sabrina's Grandmother; she walked over to Yuki and gave her a sympathy hug. "I believe that you've met my son Virgil and his wife Cassandra."

"We've met a few times," replied Yuki as she tried to hold back the tears and bowed.

Cassandra, despite being Sabrina's mother, never showed any signs of being a psychic; none the less she was very patient, insightful and empathic. Cassandra moved in and gave Yuki a strong hug and whispered, "It will be alright."

Virgil moved purposefully as he opened crates and set up his equipment. In twenty minutes he had a basic warptile working. Cassandra whispered into her husband's ear and he nodded in agreement. "Yuki, do you still have Sabrina's original Poketch?" he asked.

Yuki removed the Poketch and handed it Virgil. He browsed through menus on the device, only to find most features locked out. As he searched he asked, "Do you know who the first person was to travel via a warptile?"

"Sabrina?" replied Yuki.

"Yes. She was six at the time. Her telekinesis already destroyed the house, so she shifted her attention to teleportation. One day she teleported, but we couldn't find her. We looked everywhere we could, we sent psychic Pokemon from the gym to search but we couldn't find her. I was working on the warptiles in my spare time but I hadn't tested it yet on a living being. I was desperate, so I set the tile to receive mode and hoped that if Sabrina teleported again, that the warptile would bring her in. Obviously it did, but it was a long three hours as we waited."

"Did you ever learn where she was?"

"France, or at least some place with a big metal tower."

"But France is on the other side of the planet. I never knew Sabrina could go that far."

"For a teleporter, distance is irrelevant, but control is everything. There are many ways to throw a stone and some of those ways can cover great distances, but the trick is to throw it accurately."

Yuki swallowed and asked, "What happens if you miss?"

"You can get lost, like Sabrina was. You could also come back different. You heard stories about how Sabrina would turn people into dolls?"

"Yes."

"That was done by teleportation; at least the shrinking was. I learned about what she was doing at the gym and found her teleport path, so I could undo that effect."

"So Sabrina could come back as a 40 meter tall woman?" speculated Yuki.

"And breathing fire as she destroys Saffron City," added Virgil with a wink.

Yuki tried to smile.

"Are you worried?" asked Yuki.

"I've been worried about Sabrina since she was three. Some days I worry more, some days I worry less. That's what it means to be a father."

"Do you think she'll make it back?"

"If Sabrina wants to come back, do you think anything could stop her?"

Yuki smiled and said, "What could even slow her down?"

"Exactly. So what we need to do is be here and act as a beacon.**"**

So the vigil began. Virgil monitored the equipment as he tried to glean some information from Sabrina's Poketch. Lady Lilith was on the phone to keep the media and outsiders away. Cassandra did what she did best: mothering. She brought blankets, coffee and food and did her best to keep up everyone's spirit.

Yuki was bundled up in a blanket. The sun had gone down and a chill was coming down from the mountains. Cassandra offered to top up Yuki's coffee. "Thank you," replied Yuki. "Are you worried?"

"Yuki, the two people that I have the most faith and trust in are my husband and my daughter. I may worry a little, but I know that Sabrina will do her best."

Yuki looked over the practice field that looked more like a crime scene.

"Our family has been through worse," stated Cassandra as she put an arm around Yuki.

While Cassandra and Yuki tried to boost their spirits, Virgil and Lilith coped by forming contingency plans. Both of which involved understanding what happened.

Virgil asked first, "Yuki what was it that exploded?"

"Sabrina had these new Poketch/power damper cuffs made. She took them off before she battled Lucian's Jynx. She set them down over there. Rotom said that he left his Pokeball and possessed one of them but it overloaded and exploded."

"Were there two cuffs?"

"Yes, I didn't think to look for them."

"We should look for them, maybe they recorded some clue," speculated Lilith.

"Sabrina did tell Monty that she wanted scanners and recorders," recalled Yuki.

"Monty?" asked Virgil. "Stanley Montgomery? Stanley Full-Monty-Engineering-Montgomery? Stanley If-I-Designed-A-Food-Processor-I'd-Start-With-A-Tree-Chipper Montgomery?"

"Yes."

Virgil immediately placed a call on his cellphone, "Monty, your device exploded and now Sabrina is missing. I want you here tomorrow morning with all the equipment need to find her and bring her back." After he hung up he growled, "Let's go look for that device. But if you find it, don't touch it."

The device was found with the help of a few Pokemon noses. The area was marked with cones and warning tape. The crime scene nature was playing on Yuki's mind so she had to turn away. "Go inside and get some rest," insisted Cassandra. Before Yuki could argue, Cassandra added, "You've been up for a long time, let us share the burden." Cassandra put a comforting arm around Yuki and led her into the Pokemon Center. She sat Yuki down in a quiet corner of the cafeteria and fetched two cups of tea. "It wasn't long ago that I was prying into Sabrina's life about 'Yuri'. I'm amazed that you fooled her for so long."

"I spent years fooling myself," admitted Yuki. "Are you mad at me?"

"For what?"

"For not being a man."

"That doesn't make any difference to me. You brought out Sabrina's good side. You helped to make her a better person. I noticed a change in her once she started to take an interest in you," replied Cassandra with a warm smile.

Yuki smiled. "What do we do now?" asked Yuki.

"We wait, and you get some rest. My husband and Lady Lilith have ideas that they are setting into motion. I hope that he has turned on the filters. Last time he did this we had to do this we had Abras teleporting in every five minutes. He had to use a Pokedex to scan and not let more of them teleport in. Most of the Pokemon were spooked and teleported back home. Except one…"

"The one that is now Sabrina's Alakazam," concluded Yuki.

"There was some good to come out of that crisis. There will probably be the same with this one."

"What was Sabrina like as a child?"

"Before she discovered her abilities she was a happy little girl, but she had all the same issues that little children have. When she became obsessed with her abilities, it was like someone had replaced my daughter. There was still the Sabrina I knew inside of her, but something was in the way. Sometimes I could reach her with her favorite food or stories at bedtime, but usually she was in her own world. If she had friends and played with them all day, it would have been similar."

"She didn't have friends?"

"She made friends with the Pokemon at the gym, but she just couldn't connect with humans. I'm glad that she has finally made friends with people."

"Well Sabrina and I are…"

"That's between you and Sabrina. But if it makes Sabrina happy and a better person, then I support it."

"I don't know what to say," muttered Yuki.

"As my daughter in law you could volunteer to come over and clean and do my shopping," teased Cassandra.

"What?"

"I'm teasing. But it would be nice for you and Sabrina to come over for dinner." Cassandra saw that Yuki was getting withdrawn. "I hope I didn't misunderstand your relationship."

"Well it's more that I haven't understood what our relationship was, then this…"

"Let me tell you something that I learned after being married into this family for twenty-six years, don't sweat it. I was an office girl that was working at the Sylph Company when I met Virgil. He was over at least once a week asking his mother for advice on how to run the gym. I also noticed that as a bachelor he wasn't keeping up appearances. I loved him for his childlike fascination with machines and his dedication to the gym and tradition. His mother was one of the richest women in Kanto, but he couldn't iron a shirt.

"Later I learned that Lady Lilith was more than a former gym leader and businesswoman; she was the Daimyo of Saffron City. I knew that the title didn't have authority, but the weight of history and the title was rather intimidating. I was dating Virgil when I found out so I asked him about it. He just recalled, 'Lady Lilith, Daimyo of Saffron City, holder of the Saffron Throne and Lady of Marsh Castle', he then thought about it and said that the Marsh Castle goes with the gym so he was now Lord of Marsh Castle. Titles didn't bother him at all, so I learned not to let it bother me. Titles, mega corporations, gym battles, teleportation and later a beautiful little girl that could demolish a building, I learned to let things be."

"So this doesn't bother you?" asked Yuki.

"I'd truly be callous if it didn't. But I have faith in this family that I'm a part of."

"Sabrina once mentioned that the government had her flagged as a menace."

"I doubt that they went that far. Back when Sabrina had that split persona, some trainers reported her to the authorities. That is when I saw what Lady Lilith was capable of. She threw her fortune, reputation and title against the government to keep Sabrina with us. She earned the title, 'The Nightmare of Saffron'."

"I thought that she earned that when she battled Pokemon."

"She did. Then, as needed, she made it clear that she was the nightmare and not her Pokemon. Politics and business are an open book to a woman like her." Cassandra topped up their tea and asked, "Tell me about this new teacher, I hear she worked a miracle or two."

Cassandra kept Yuki talking, and listening, past midnight. Eventually Yuki fell asleep where they were talking.

Sleep had always been Yuki's refuge. As a child she would fall asleep to avoid a lecture from her parents and she could sleep through any alarm clock. In her dreams she could fool herself that Sabrina was still there and that they were walking hand in hand on a tropical beach. The roar of the ocean became an electronic buzz. Yuki opened her eyes and saw there was an incoming text message from Saffron Tower. Yuki scrambled to open the message which read, "Do you know where Sabrina is?" There was only a yes or no option for a reply. Yuki replied no.

Yuki yawned and took stock of her situation: she was still on the sofa where she was talking to Cassandra the night before. As Yuki stretched her Poketch buzzed again. Again there was a text message from Saffron Tower, "Do you know where Sabrina is?"

"No."

Yuki folded her blanket and put on her shoes.

"Do you know where Sabrina is?"

Yuki replied, "No," then blocked any calls from Saffron Tower. She checked the time; it had been twenty-four hours since Sabrina disappeared. Yuki shuffled out to the practice field; there she saw Sabrina's family eating rice and drinking coffee. Yuki recalled how Sabrina liked to eat very simple food, yet was particular about her brands of rice and coffee.

"I hoped that if enough people join us for breakfast, then maybe Sabrina would want to join us too," explained Cassandra with a forced smile. Cassandra's cellphone vibrated. The other two looked away. Cassandra, with a deep breath, replied, "No," then blocked any future calls from Saffron Tower.

Yuki's Poketch buzzed again, this time it was Jean. "Yuki, why is Saffron Tower texting me about Sabrina?"

"Because Sabrina disappeared and we can't find her. There was an explosion and Sabrina may have teleported to safety, but she hasn't come back. It's been twenty-four hours, and we still can't find her," replied Yuki in a monotone.

"Do you need…" started Jean, but Yuki cut her off.

"Lady Lilith, Virgil and Cassandra are here. I don't know what else we can do. Don't let the children know, there's no reason for them to worry."

"They're psychics, they'll figure it out," replied Jean.

"Then keep them busy," muttered Yuki.

"Yuki, Sabrina will come back to you and to all of us," stated Jean sternly.

"Yeah," sniffed Yuki.

The morning was quiet until Monty arrived, who apologized, a lot.

"Just bring her back," ordered Virgil. "There is an unexploded cuff in those bushes. We left it there in case you can get some information from it."

The awkward Monty raced over, grabbed the cuff and raced back to his truck. Amid the crashing of tools, Monty patched the cuff into his computer then was lost in his own world. Ten minutes later, Virgil went to Monty and tried to glean something useful.

"The records are encrypted to match Sabrina's mental wavelengths," observed Monty.

"You didn't leave yourself access to maintenance records?" asked Virgil.

"Well I did do that, but all it tells me is that it exploded and when."

"Is there anything that could make my warptile more effective, like a destination or frequency of the explosion?"

"I could give you the parameters of the ghost damping and repulsion field," offered Monty.

Ten minutes later, Sabrina's father had adjusted his warptile. Froslass and Rotom were very uncomfortable with the changes, so Yuki transferred them back to the gym.

After twenty more minutes, and additional hardware from Monty, the warptile's operation was audible. Everyone was nervous. They were nervous that the upgraded warptile would explode like Sabrina's cuff. Monty was nervous that he forgot something important. Yuki was nervous that Sabrina was hurt and unable to teleport.

Then another thought crossed Yuki's mind, which she shouted to Virgil, "What if Sabrina forgot how to teleport?"

"Forget, after all this time?"

"Amnesia or head trauma," speculated Yuki.

"If she doesn't teleport on her own, then I can't catch her."

"We could broadcast her memories that she recorded in her journal."

"Monty, can you do that?" yelled Virgil.

"Do what?"

"Broadcast Sabrina's journal entries through the warptile as a beacon then switch the warptile to pull her in?"

"Didn't I already do that?" asked the absentminded Monty.

"No, we set the warptile broadcast signal to harmonize with the ghost repulser field."

"But Sabrina's journal is encrypted to her mental wavelength," argued Monty.

"The files are encrypted, but can you trick the computer to make copies for backup and broadcast the encrypted files?"

"What's the point of broadcasting encrypted files if we can't read them?"

"Because Sabrina's mind will decode them and read them," explained Yuki.

"Oh," shouted Monty. "Sure that's easy; just give me a minute."

It took more than a minute, but less than five, for the change to be made. The loud hum of the machine became a fast, pulsing sound. Monty monitored his computer then screamed and passed out.

"What happened?" shouted Yuki.

Lady Lilith easily slipped her mind into Monty's unconsciousness. "He tried to use his Future Sight to look into the void. There were so many possibilities that his mind couldn't take it and he passed out."

"Let's take him into the Pokemon Center and make him comfortable," offered Yuki as she took Monty's arm over her shoulders.

Virgil insisted on monitoring the machines, so the women dragged Monty inside. They were met by a very concerned Nurse Joy, "What is going on?"

"It's hard to explain," offered Yuki.

"Should I evacuate the Pokemon Center?" asked the Nurse directly.

The lights in the center dimmed, and the pulsing became louder.

All the women present concluded, "Yes." So they did. Nurse Joy and Yuki operated the Pokeball transfer machine. Lady Lilith marched out all the trainers still present and called for transportation to the next Pokemon Center. Cassandra scoured the Pokemon Center for electrical equipment that could be turned off.

With the last Pokemon and trainer safely away, Yuki insisted that Nurse Joy leave as well.

"It's not safe for you either," argued the Nurse, "and worse for him," she added indicating Virgil.

Cassandra caught Yuki's eye then looked at the couch where Monty was resting. They dumped him on the floor and dragged the couch outside to build a barrier to protect Virgil. Soon there was a berm of mattresses between the howling machine and Virgil. Yuki was sent in with Lady Lilith. Cassandra insisted on staying with her husband.

A point of darkness on the warptile started to grow. Virgil quickly typed commands into his computer and a dark tunnel was ripped open. The machines and reality screamed in protest. A figure jumped out of the darkness and pounced on Virgil and Cassandra.

The warptile exploded.

The windows of the Pokemon Center shattered and the plaster cracked. Lilith's Alakazam had a Protect around Yuki and his mistress. Outside soil and electronic debris were raining down on a glowing hemisphere of energy.

When the dust settled Sabrina asked, "What is going on and why doesn't anyone answer my calls?"

Yuki scrambled over the debris pile that was a wall, and raced towards Sabrina. Cassandra hugged her daughter. Sabrina's father asked, "Where have you been?"

"For the last hour I was stuck in Saffron Tower as I tried to shut down my emergency program. I tried to call you, but all my calls were blocked. Isn't this where I was battling Jynx?"

Yuki tackled Sabrina with tears in her eyes.

"What?" asked the bewildered Sabrina.

Lady Lilith walked over and instilled order by her presence. "Sabrina, you have been missing for over twenty-four hours. According to Yuki and your Rotom, you were caught in an explosion of your new Poketch. We have been calling to you with a modified warptile. Do you remember anything?"

"I remember the explosion and I teleported to safety… the next thing I remember was being in Saffron Tower naked. You said I was gone for twenty-four hours. So did you get a text from Saffron Tower?"

"Every five minutes," replied Sabrina's mother, "that's why we block the calls."

"Oh, I should have thought that through," commented Sabrina.

"What's this 'emergency program'?" asked Virgil.

"The Tower links all the warptiles in the city to broadcast excerpts from my journal to remind me to teleport, then links all the warptiles in the tower to act as a receiver. I had Monty make the program based upon what you did years ago when I got stuck in Paris."

"Monty set up this program?" asked Virgil slowly.

"Yes," replied Sabrina.

Monty was holding his head as he staggered through the rubble.

"Obviously he didn't tell you, since it slipped his mind," stated Sabrina.

"Why do you keep him on the payroll?" asked Lady Lilith.

"I can't let him loose on the streets," replied Sabrina. "Can we go home now?" They turned as a family towards the wrecked Pokemon Center. "I'll have to pay to fix this too," sighed Sabrina.

Author's notes: I realize that Sabrina's parents haven't been named, so I picked the names of Virgil, who was regarded as a wizard, and Cassandra who was a seer.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Lemon Warning: If you don't know what a lemon is or you know you're not supposed to read it, then don't. Really, if you're under 18, go read something else.

Sorry about the wait.

The Beast Awakens

I gave Nurse Joy my contact information so I could pay for the damages to her Pokemon Center, left Monty to clean up the mess on the practice field, and joined my family on grandmother's private jet.

"So you have no idea where you were?" asked my mom.

I shrugged. "I remember the explosion and trying to teleport. The teleport path was disrupted and I lost my memory. The next memory I had was appearing in Saffron Tower on the new warptile that I had installed next to my apartment. My clothes were missing, but there was debris on the warptile. I had leaves, rocks, berries, junk mail, newspapers and catalogs. I didn't have my Poketch so I couldn't access the Tower's systems and unlock the door. If I teleported then the Tower would warp me back. I need to install an access panel next to the doorbell.*"

"Was there any clue in the debris?" asked my father.

"The alarms were going off, so I wasn't in the mood to search. I tried calling out for Gardevoir and Gengar, but they weren't home. After I broke into my apartment and got Saffron Tower back to normal, I could feel your signal, so I teleported here."

"Now that we are all together, I think that we should have dinner as a family," suggested Mom. "That includes you Yuki."

"I agree," added my Grandmother.

"I know a great fish restaurant," I offered.

"Oh no," moaned Yuki.

"It's in Mossdeep," I explained.

"Good idea Sabrina, I was in the mood for fish," replied my Grandmother with a wink.

"Yuki-chan, would you like to invite your parents to join us?" asked my mother in a sweet way that meant Yuki didn't have a choice.

Four hours in the jet and three cabs later Yuki and I were having dinner with our parents. Our fathers found something in business to talk about. Our mothers were swapping embarrassing stories about us. Grandmother would add a point or two to both conversations.

"Why did you do this to me?" asked Yuki in a quiet corner of her mind.

"It had to be done eventually," I thought. "Everyone was in the jet, we had the time, and my father was so relieved that I came back, he couldn't argue."

"Everyone is smiling at us," thought Yuki.

"Good," I thought. "Should I kiss you and make them cringe?"

"No!" mentally replied Yuki.

"No what, Yuki-chan?" asked my grandmother.

"I thought everyone wanted me to make a speech or something?" stammered Yuki.

Our parents went back to their conversations and plots.

My grandmother projected to my mind, "Just what did you say to her?"

"Should I use my tongue?" I teased. "Did you go through this with Agatha?"

"We'll talk about that later."

The conversations went on past closing time. As we rode back to the airport, the fathers rode together as did the mothers. This left Yuki and me some alone time in the third cab. Yuki wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me in close. "I'm so glad that you're back," admitted Yuki. She was almost crying.

"I don't feel like I left," I replied. "I have been running a scan on my mind and there is some discrepancy from the last recording before the explosion."

"I don't care. I don't care. You're back and that's what matters," commented Yuki. When our cab pulled up to Grandmother's jet, Yuki was asleep with a smile on her face. I telekinetically carried Yuki onto the plane and secured her in a chair.

"Sabrina, I'm still concerned about Monty," stated my father. "I'd like to go over his devices before you put them on."

I scratched my hands. "He sometimes fails to see the safety aspect of things," I conceded. "If he builds a personal device for me, I'll have you look at it. But if he builds something for my company I am obligated to have my people look at it."

"How are you hands?" asked my mom.

"They itch," I replied. "Before the incident they would sting so this is an improvement. I think that I was gone for more than twenty-four hours, because I couldn't have made this much progress in a day."

The conversation drifted into a heavily edited travelogue of Hoenn. Eventually the plane landed and we got into separate cabs again. Yuki was mostly asleep. But when she sensed that we were somewhat alone she reached out and clutched me like a plush doll.

Finally Yuki and I walked through the door of my, our, apartment. We dropped our bags at the door, staggered to the couch, collapsed and sighed.

"Mission accomplished," purred Yuki as she snuggled me. "So when will Master Kiyo return and open his gym?"

"That's up to him. I did my part of apologizing and helped him to find inspiration. If he truly wanted to abandon his legacy he could have sold his gym years ago."

"Unless he kept it to remind you of what you did and make you feel guilty," speculated Yuki.

"I suppose a certain brush with guilt would be good for my character."

Yuki squeezed harder as she growled, "Your sense of humility hasn't improved."

"I was joking," I croaked.

Yuki loosened her grip and rubbed her cheek against my shoulder.

I flipped her onto my lap.

"Wha…," mumbled Yuki as I pressed my mouth to hers. As my left arm cradled her head, my right hand found its way under her clothes. I opened my mind to Yuki's and felt the sensation of a cold hand snaking across her skin. The waistband of her pants was too tight to get past, so I telekinetically undid and removed her pants.

I broke the kiss and said, "I'm glad I got all that practice dressing with telekinesis." I pulled off all of Yuki's remaining clothes in one motion. "I feel like I haven't done this in months."

"You've never done this," replied Yuki.

I levitated Yuki with my telekinesis. "I'll really make you feel like you're flying," I purred then flipped her over. She was floating over the couch and I moved her lips near mine as I sat up. I slowly kissed every inch down her body until I was between her legs. As my right hand was fingering Yuki, my left was exercising my own needs. Before Yuki could climax, I stopped. I let her see my naughty grin as I said, "You'll never see a hand tossed pizza in the same way."

I took two moist fingers from my hole and inserted them into Yuki's; then with a slight adjustment of my telekinesis, I spun Yuki like a pizza. Her center of gravity wasn't over my fingers so I had to trace a circle in the air.

"Oh my gawd!" shrieked Yuki.

I 'tossed' her a little into the air and switched to three fingers.

"Yes!"

"I'm not letting you off that easily," I purred. I stopped her spin. I gave her a kiss on the mouth then spun her the other way.

Yuki just screamed in pleasure.

I slowed her to a stop as her climax faded, floated her to the bedroom and put her gently on the bed.

"I know you never did that in a video," puffed Yuki.

I telekinetically pulled of my clothes. "Sometimes truth is kinkier than fiction," I growled. I psychically made my hair stand on end in lion style. I took some red makeup from the dresser and painted my face to match the kabuki look of my hair. I danced to the wardrobe, donned a kimono, but left it open.

I danced around the bed and sniffed at my mate. I'd turn and let my long hair drape across Yuki's body as I stole a sideways glance at her. I telekinetically took the Pink Wakazashi from the sword stand on the dresser and made a dramatic, swordlike motion of putting in me. I danced about Yuki again, this time I took bolder sniffs and a taste from each of Yuki's sets of lips.

With my left hand I stroked, and lightly clawed at Yuki's smooth skin, with my right I clutched the Wakazashi as I lustfully decided my next move. Once I decided, I stood the foot of the bed, twisted the Wakazashi so it curved up then leapt knees first onto the bed and between Yuki's legs. I raised her legs apart with my hands and telekinetically guided my sword into her. I pulled her body upright and wrapped my arms around her neck as I kissed her passionately.

I arched back as I bounced Yuki up and down. Short strokes at first, but eventually she bounced almost the full length of the wakazashi as it was all but free of our bodies before plunging deep again. I was so desperate to climax that I could barely able to hold out as I wait for Yuki, but I did. I let out a primal scream as we came. Yuki slumped forward onto me and helped me to straighten my legs.

When the glow passed and our breathing was steady, Yuki teased, "You've ruined me for pizza, kabuki and samurai dramas."

"Kabuki plays can go for hours," I offered.

"I can't," replied Yuki as she pulled some of the covers over us.

I psychically 'twisted the knife'. Yuki moved and let the wakazashi fall out. She slept with a smile on her face.

I couldn't sleep.

I carefully freed myself from Yuki's grasp and left for the bathroom. I washed myself with cool water and opted not to soak in the tub; rather I walked to the garden to cool off. On my way past the kitchen, Gardevoir greeted me warmly and told me that there was fresh tea waiting.

"Thank you. Is Gengar gardening?"

Gardevoir nodded. I picked up a warm cup of tea and went outside. Summer was slowly leaving the big city of Saffron: As the evening rolled in, the usual muggy afternoon was making a slow transformation to damp. Despite the weather there was a strange heat building inside me.

I telekinetically hopped up to the second level so I could survey the city. The dull roar of traffic mixed with the staccato of passing trains. I reached out my senses and felt at home. But then I felt the minds downstairs. Beyond Yuki's sleeping mind, there were sixty-nine floors of the world's largest love hotel, and it was Friday night. I could sense the couples releasing their pent-up passions. I could sense the loners as they engaged in their fantasies and the powerful indulging in their success.

My hand went to my Poketch. With a touch I could adjust the shielding and let their carnal thoughts and feelings flood into me. "Would that be cheating?" I thought to myself. "Yuki… No, not now." I increased the shielding power levels, but I could still sense them. This was wrong.

"Shielding diagnostics," I ordered. My Poketch displayed screens of statistics about my building and there was nothing wrong. Nothing wrong with the building that is; so that meant there was something wrong with me. I clutched my chest and Kadabra's Pokeball wasn't there; I left it in on the side of a practice field in Sinnoh.

I hopped back down and mentally asked Yuki, "Where is Kadabra's Pokeball?"

Yuki replied, "We transferred them to the gym."

I called the gym and activated a teleport beacon. Once I was comfortable with the path, I slipped into my office. Espeon and Alakazam were the first through the door, followed by everyone else.

"Yes I'm back, but I don't remember being gone. My hands feel better, now they mostly itch."

My Kadabra pointed out that my eyes were glowing. I noticed in a small mirror on the wall that he was right. "That's why I came to find you. Could you synchronize with me and help me get this under control?"

The custom Synchronize Ball was on my desk, so Kadabra returned to it as I placed the chain that held it over my head and around my neck.

As I sat in my chair, I noticed that Spoink had lost his pearl, again. "Spoink, where did you leave your pearl?"

"?"

"Poli, would you help Spoink retrace his steps and find his pearl?"

Poli and Spoink bounced out of the office. Golduck gave me a wink as she turned to keep tabs on her adopted daughter.

Kadabra noticed many buried memories in my mind, but neither of us could retrieve them. "Is it more than a day's worth of memories?" I thought.

"Yes," thought Kadabra.

"Maybe there are some clues back home," I pondered. I used my Poketch to activate my apartment's warptile then teleported home. I waited a few seconds. Since the alarms weren't going off, I entered the apartment and looked through the pile of debris. There was an oran berry that was still fresh. The leaves were creased like they were used to wrap something. Other leaves were delicate, but pretty.

I was hoping that Kadabra's mind could decode the clues, but he left his Pokeball and said that he felt hot. His eyes glowed and he said that mine did too.

"We're going to the Pokemon Center," I declared. I dashed into the bedroom, grabbed some sweats and sunglasses from the closet and dashed out. I was somewhat dressed and teleported us into the Pokemon Center. "Nurse Joy, something's wrong with m… my Kadabra."

Nurse Joy and Chansey led my Kadabra to an examination room.

"Are you going to have gym battles or are you going to do those silly Pokemon Contests you spoiled Princess?" asked a strange mind.

I turned slowly around and saw Paul. "If you were a novice trainer, I might have forgiven you. But you should know better."

"What are you talking about?" he replied contemptuously.

"I see: You are just naturally rude. Shall I take a trip through your mind and dredge up every cold and heartless experience that turned you into the beast that you are?"

"Stay out of my head," he demanded.

"You invited me in with your question. 'Spoiled princess' was it? If you can't think anything nice, then don't project. I could break you in so many ways: I could turn your Pokemon against you; I could crush your spirit that's been propped up by rage." I leaned back on to the counter. With a 'come hither' gesture of my finger I pulled my sunglasses down a bit. I could see the glow of my eyes reflected in his.

Paul flinched in fear and disgust. His mind flashed dozens of images.

I puffed my chest out a bit. "It's best not to stare: your mind will wander," I warned.

"Chansey?" beckoned Joy's assistant. I turned to follow Chansey to the examination room. Paul's mind was making connections with visions of my rear and a Kirlia's. I bent over and pretended to adjust my shoes, but I was really sifting through Paul's mind. I found Paul's 'first time' and it was not pretty.

I caught up with Chansey and Nurse Joy in the examination room. "Your Kadabra has a virus: The Pokemon virus Pokerus," explained Nurse Joy. "Kadabra will be back to his old self in three or four days. Until then he'll want to train and the virus will help him develop faster."

"It's not harmful?"

"No. Strangely it is a very beneficial virus. This is the second case I've seen in years. Many Pokemon trainers hope that their Pokemon catch it, in case you were worried about other Pokemon at the gym catching it."

"So lack of fatigue is a symptom?"

"And a benefit," added Nurse Joy.

"What about arousal?"

Nurse Joy gave a polite cough. "I suppose it could happen, but again I've seen only one case before and Pokemon involved were not 'mature'. Have you noticed any such problems with your Pokemon?"

"Nothing that training won't take care of," I claimed to distract myself.

"Strange…" pondered Nurse Joy, "I checked all of your Pokemon a few hours ago and none of them showed any signs of Pokerus. Who did he come into contact with that could have infected him so quickly?"

"Why question this gift?" I asked. "Come on Kadabra; let's make the most of this." We teleported back to the apartment to gather my last two Pokemon: "Gengar, Gardevoir; we're going to the gym to get in some training. Care to join us?"

They didn't reply directly to my question since there was very little higher brain function from the pair. Their lust was more infectious than that of the rest of the tower. "Three or four days; lucky devil."

I wrote Yuki a note that I was going to the gym to train and that Gengar and Gardevoir are way too into each other to be of any use.

I was about to teleport to the gym as I did countless times before, when something stopped me. A stray thought compelled me outside to the garden. The city entered the night shift: Office buildings shut off their lights while the shopping districts blazed away. But something else was begging for attention. I hopped up to the upper garden. In the bushes below Gengar and Gardevoir were going at it like only they can: She used her Synchronize and psychic powers to send their libidos in a feedback loop. He used his very versatile tongue to lick her everywhere.

Again something was calling for my attention. Then I realized it was the sky itself. I looked back at the garden below and realized that I jumped up twelve feet with no effort. It felt normal. I lifted myself off of the roof and hovered. Thinking no more of it, I flew to the gym.

When I arrived, the gym was locked and secure. I teleported onto the battlefield inside and called out my Pokemon: Espeon, Alakazam, Mr. Mime, Drowzee, Rotom, Natu, Kadabra, Golduck, Poliwag, Froslass and Spoink. "We have a great opportunity: Pokerus. For the next three days, we'll be able to train like never before and get strong. And if getting stronger is what it's about, let's get you fixed up." I reached back into my memories and found the feeling I had when my Alakazam evolved. Like a melody of energies that we heard in the Pokemon transit network; I projected that to Kadabra and triggered his evolution. "Now, everyone pair up and spar. Alakazam," I readied an Aura Sphere, "you battle me." I launched the sphere which collided with his new spoons.

We all trained as we lost track of time and I lost sense of myself. When fatigue finally over came the Pokerus and forced me to take a break, I surveyed the battlefield. My Pokemon and I looked ragged and primal. There was an open bag of dry Pokemon food and a banging on the door.

Yuki and Jean were outside and trying to get in. I went to the door which was more than locked, it was fused shut, yet I had no clear memory of doing it.

"Sabrina?" demanded Yuki.

"Yes?" I replied.

"What are you doing in there?"

"Just training."

""Just'? I talked to Nurse Joy, I know that your Pokemon have Pokerus and that you want to train them, but what's happened to you? I couldn't read or find your thoughts."

I mentally replied to Yuki. "This is something very important: I need you to do two things."

"Anything."

"Keep a big secret and contact my Grandmother. Tell her that I have Pokerus."

"Everyone at the Pokemon Center knows that…"

"No. I was infected with Pokerus and my Pokemon caught it from me."

"Sabrina? Sabrina stay with me!" demanded Yuki as she pounded on the door.

"Hurry," I mentally pleaded. "Espeon, Alakazam keep everyone safe, and away."

My memories blurred again, until Spoink cried out in pain. He took a hard hit from Poliwag's Water Gun and fell on his own pearl. He had the wherewithal not to lose the pearl as he did countless times before, but this cost him a slight concussion. I teleported with him to the Pokemon Center and gave him to Nurse Joy to treat.

"Um, Sabrina, are you okay?" nervously asked the otherwise perky nurse.

"Sorry about the mess. I've been training so intensely with my Pokemon I've lost track of time and possibly hygiene."

"Are your other Pokemon hurt? Fatigue isn't the only thing suppressed; so is pain. It would be best to bring all of the Pokemon in for a checkup."

I let out a low, primal growl of disappointment, "I don't want to stop."

"Think of it as a pit stop in a car race. Every couple of hours I'll take two Pokemon, give them a checkup, rest and a snack. You train the rest. If there is nothing serious we'll rotate them in and bring out another pair. Okay?"

"Fine. Get better soon Spoink and don't lose your pearl."

"Spoink," replied the little one.

I teleported back to the battlefield. I was hungry.

As I ate, a worried Poliwag asked, "Poli?"

"Don't worry sweetie, Spoink will be fine. He just needs to learn how to fall and not hurt himself or lose that pearl." I tried hard to look at Poliwag and saw that she was rather beat-up. "You could make Spoink feel better by cheering him up in the Pokemon Center," I offered.

"Li!"

I scooped up the little Pokemon in one arm and teleported back to Nurse Joy.

"Nurse Joy, I brought Poliwag to cheer up Spoink. Would you look after the two of them?"

Nurse Joy tried to hide her look of horror as she looked at Poliwag and me. "You were right about suppressing pain. Please come by regularly to help look after the others." Joy's wide eyes also followed my hand as I absentmindedly ate. I looked at my hand and saw that I was eating Pokemon Chow. "I wouldn't feed my Pokemon anything that I wouldn't eat myself," I claimed. "Now be good Poliwag, look after Spoink and listen to Nurse Joy. When you two are ready to come back then we can train some more." I patted her on the head, and teleported back to training.

"That was encouraging," boomed Grandmother Lilith's thoughts in my mind.

"Grandma," I winced, "where are you?"

"I'm upstairs in the control booth. Don't bother coming up."

"Why? How?"

"You're a psychic my dear. Humans can catch Pokerus, but unless they have the activity levels of a Pokemon there isn't a point."

"This is normal?"

"No, so to quell rumors don't talk about it."

"Is it safe for the students?"

"Pokerus: yes. You: no. Don't worry. The gym is off limits to the students today, so Jean and Zoey are conducting classes out of the dojo and using the outside training field for lessons. It would be a shame to keep the Pokerus for yourself."

"Spoink and Poliwag have it, so someone can bring them from the Pokemon Center in two hours to train outside and spread the virus. How would infected Pokemon affect their psychic trainers?"

"No more than having an active child that refuses to come in for dinner," she mused. "They can handle it. I'll watch over you from here; enjoy."

"…enjoy."

Joy. That's what it was: pure joy. I didn't have a care in the world. I was dodging, laughing and sparring with my Pokemon in an endless game of Aura Spheres, Shadow Balls, Water Pulses, Blizzards and Psychic launched snow ball attacks. The gym was being pummeled but I didn't care. All that mattered was that my Pokemon were having fun and so was I. Froslass curbed her killer instinct and even enjoyed herself.

I realized that there were more Shadow Balls than Rotom and Froslass could generate. "Come out Haunter; you too Gastly." The laughing Pokemon faded into view. Gastly spent most of his time back in Lavender Town scaring young trainers, but occasionally he'd come here to visit his friends.

"Gastly?" he asked.

"He's home with Gardevoir," I explained.

"Haunter, haunt?"

I checked my Poketch; thirteen hours had passed since I left the loving couple in the garden. "I'll go home and see if he wants to play." I teleported back home. Outside in the gardens there were the sounds and thoughts of a frustrated gardener. Inside and downstairs were the thoughts of lullabies. I staggered downstairs to the quarters set aside for the Pokemon. Inside Gardevoir and Gengar's room was Gardevoir fussing over two Pokemon eggs.

"Congratulations," I said.

"Gard," replied my otherwise gentle Pokemon in a tone that was motherly and defensive.

"Gastly came to visit at the gym. Do you mind if I take Gengar with me?"

Gardevoir replied that she'd appreciate it.

I went up and found Gengar repairing the damage their love making did to the moss garden.

"It doesn't look like a bed of moss can stand up to the abuse that a real bed can," I joked. "Gastly came to visit."

Gengar complained that the eggs don't need that much looking after.

"True. But it's Gardevoir's first and she doesn't want anything to go wrong. She also doesn't want us in the way. So let's go play." I grabbed Gengar and teleported him back to the chaos of the gym. He joined in the melee without hesitation. Since Gengar and I were the most sexually frustrated in the group, everyone else ganged up on us.

During the next break, when a rested Spoink and Poliwag were exchanged for Rotom and Froslass, Haunter asked Gengar what was bothering him.

Gengar explained that Gardevoir spent more time with the new eggs than with him.

Gastly congratulated the new dad to be.

Gengar then realized that he was going to be a father and fainted to everyone's laughter.

Haunter dumped a five gallon cooler of sports drink on Gengar. The spilled liquid mixed with the clay of the battlefield, so Gengar threw mud at Haunter. Haunter dodged and the mud hit me. The mud fight free-for-all was then on!

At the next shift change I didn't have to teleport through the fused door, for the door was blown off its hinges and sat in a crumpled heap in the hall. In the doorway was Misty with three Pokeballs and her jaw was on the floor.

"Can I help you?" I asked. The mud fight had become a mud war, so the gym floor was filled with trenches and craters. Everything and everyone in the room was covered in mud.

"Sabrina?" asked Misty.

"Yes it's me," I tried to assure her.

"I brought back your Pokemon. Do you have some that need to go to the Pokemon Center?"

"Golduck and Kadabra," I called.

There was a muffled protest from a mound of mud.

"Sorry Alakazam; I couldn't tell what you were under that mud." Alakazam cracked open his mud cocoon and levitated into the air like a just evolved Butterfree. The scene was spoiled when a ball of mud went for his face. I reestablished the truce and hurried Alakazam and Golduck out of the battle zone.

"Um…," started Misty as we walked past the broken door, "could you take care of my Psyduck?"

I released Rotom and Froslass, who rushed off to join the fun, then recalled Alakazam and Golduck to their Pokeballs. "What's the matter, Psyduck too much for you to handle?"

"Yes."

"Your husband is hung like a daikon radish and you can deep throat him, but you can't handle a Psyduck?"

"Not like that!"

"I see: Misty and Ash can't have a little quickie at the gym because Psyduck is jealous and in the way; so you brought him so I can help him blow his wad and leave you alone."

"I didn't say that! Stay out of my head!"

"Whatever," I dismissed. "But it'll cost you: I want two bags of Pokemon Chow: The Premium, Active Formula in fifty pound bags."

In the background I could hear an unfamiliar sound: it was Gastly and Haunter snickering.

Natu teleported to my side and warned me.

I telekinetically threw Misty out of harm's way while mentally calling Espeon, "Protect Spoink and Poliwag!" Two seconds later an Explosion rocked the gym and sprayed the hall with mud. Espeon teleported into the hallway while holding Spoink's and Poliwag's tails in her mouth. "Misty, take these two with you." I returned the little ones to their Pokeballs and handed them to Misty.

Ivan poked his masked face around the corner and asked, "Is everything alright Milady?"

"Having a blast Ivan," I joked. "Would you see Misty out?"

"Of course Milady. This way please."

I stumbled on my way back to the battlefield. Yuki followed at a run and screeched to a halt at the sight of it all. "How did you get mud on the ceiling?" she demanded.

"Gastly learned Explosion, so he was showing off," I replied.

Gastly and Haunter were collapsed in the mud and laughing.

"Now I know how we can put in a pool: We'll demolish the gym," I joked.

"That's not funny."

A muddy speaker splashed into the muddy floor.

"It's a training accident so the insurance will cover it. Wanna mud wrestle?"

"No," grumped Yuki.

"This is a good excuse to remodel. How are the students doing?"

"Today went well. We played and trained a lot."

"Jean and Zoey?"

"The kids were a handful, but we held our own."

"How are your Pokemon?"

"Tired."

"No they're not," I insisted. "You are tired but they are restless. I can't help but sense them."

"You want me to let them loose in here?"

"What harm could Explosion do to Solrock and Lunatone? Hang on a sec." I put up a strong defensive shield while Gengar was straining audibly. My shield was buffeted by a wave of mud after Gengar let off his own Explosion. Mr. Mime was riding the crest of the mud wave on a pretend surfboard. "Just a typical day at the office."

"Are you drunk?"

"Feels like it."

"You've been eating Pokemon Chow," insisted Yuki.

"The stuff is bland, but filling. Don't worry; I'll have some duck tonight."

"?"

"Misty was here and brought her Psyduck."

"The recursive amnesia case," recalled Yuki. "You were joking about the blow job thing."

"No. Sexual frustration and unrequited love are the most likely causes of his trouble."

"Give the woman a hammer and every problem becomes a nail." After a pause, Yuki added, "Your grandmother told me that Pokerus would send your libido into overdrive. You stayed away from me to protect me, didn't you?"

I chuckled, "You're good in bed, but not that good."

"Meaning?"

"I've been at this for…," I scraped mud off of my Poketch, "seventeen hours."

"Gardevoir and Gengar sounded like they had fun."

"Did they wake you?"

"I thought that Jean fell asleep on the couch while watching porn, it turned out to be the Pokemon. I found your note then stayed with Zoey and Jean. If Gengar is here, is it safe to go back?"

"Not yet. Gardevoir is nesting and very defensive right now. It'd be best to wait for the Pokerus to pass before going back."

"Nesting?"

"Two eggs."

"Aw," cooed Yuki.

"Incoming," I mentioned as I put up another shield. Rotom was straining to perform his own Explosion, but belched loudly instead. "Laughter will now ensue, to be followed by a belching contest, then an explosive belching contest."

"Great."

"Go get some sleep," I insisted. "Would you also take Mr. Mime and Drowzee to the Pokemon Center?" I asked as I recalled the two Pokemon to their balls.

"Here," Yuki handed me a pair of Pokeballs, "don't let them become degenerates." Yuki ran away as fast as she could.

I released Yuki's Solrock and Lunatone, and asked them, "Do you two know how to belch?"

Before they could comprehend what I asked, Natu asked to go to the Pokemon Center.

"Why are you not covered in mud?"

Natu explained that she dodged with Teleport and Future Sight, but she needed rest, and Rotom was about to explode. I picked up Natu and Teleported.

"Chansey!" shrieked the Pokemon.

"Sorry about the mess," I replied.

"Sabrina?"

"Yes it's me again. Natu needed a rest too." Natu hopped out of my hands and into Nurse Joy's. I teleported back to what was supposed to be a gym. I released Misty's Psyduck and dampness settled on the fun. Solrock was trying to explode but nothing happened. The ghosts shouted displeasure.

Dejected, Psyduck returned to his Pokeball. As I pondered what just happened, Solrock used Explosion and Lunatone redirected it with a Protect. I was knocked over by a wave of mud.

"Grandma?" I mentally probed. The only human mind I could find was that of Ivan guarding the entrance to this madhouse. I levitated to the other side of the gym while the Gengar Evolutions Trio improvised belching songs that made Froslass blush. I freed the locker room door from the mud and went in to the showers.

"Esp?" mentally asked my guardian Pokemon.

"I'd like some privacy with Psyduck," I replied.

Espeon stood guard at the doorway, while I stripped off what could be vaguely regarded as clothes: ripped sweats and caked-on mud. It took five minutes for all the mud to make it down the drain. I noticed that the hair on my legs had all grown out, but my nails were the same as I remembered. I telekinetically pulled out my leg hair.

Psyduck came out of his Pokeball, clutched his head and stared blankly at me.

"Want to talk about it?" I asked.

He blinked.

"I'm psychic and I have a Golduck, I'll probably understand what you say; so say something."

He looked around and asked about Misty.

"She's not here. She worries about you but she doesn't understand what's wrong. I know what you've been doing. Now I want to know why."

Psyduck buried his feelings under a layer of Amnesia.

"There you go again: running away in your mind. Who was she?"

"Psy duck," he replied.

"I don't mean Misty, who was it before you found Misty? Who broke your heart?"

A second layer of Amnesia was added.

"You know what the problem is with recursive Amnesia? You forget why you want to forget something. As a result you never get over the problem, you just get addicted to the treatment."

After the second attempt, I gave up on washing my hair.

"You got some mud on you. Come here and I'll wash you," I said. I sat down on a low plastic stool, took the flexible shower wand in hand and beckoned over Psyduck to sit between my legs. I was grateful that I listened to Jean's advice and bought fruit scented Pokemon shampoo instead of the ones that smell of medicine.

I gently massaged Psyduck's back and scalp. I discreetly called up my Poketch version of the Poke Sutra and accessed the Psyduck pages. With my fingers, I caressed all of the pressure points for relieving his headache. I saw the glow of my eyes reflected in the shiny tiles of the shower area, but I couldn't see if Psyduck was affected by Pokerus. Regardless, I explored his other pressure points and brought up his heart rate.

"Hold on a moment, while I get more comfortable," I said as I pushed the stool away, sat on the tile floor and leaned against the wall. I held Psyduck against my body: His stubby tail pressed against my crotch; my breasts were pressed against his shoulders.

"You need to learn how to use your abilities in a better way," I suggested. "You wouldn't want to forget this by using Amnesia do you?"

"Psy," he sighed with a shake of his head.

A distant Explosion rumbled off the tiles.

"Just block out the distractions."

He nodded.

"This will feel even better if I teach you a few things," I purred.

"Duck?"

"First things first," I teased but it went over his head. "I'm going to teach you Psyche Up. I think we'll both enjoy that. Let me move your tail into a better position." The fine feathers of his tail had teased my clit long enough, so I moved the tail into my very wet hole.

*Note to self: Research and market Artificial Psyduck Tails!

My whole body shuddered as I tried to ride up the wave of a climax without cresting.

"Psy?"

"Nothing is wrong," I assured him. "This is how you learn Psyche Up: I'm going to project what I'm feeling and you try to duplicate it."

I started with a low transmission of my feelings while my hand massaged his groin. Normally I could completely control the situation for hours, but the Pokerus had lowered my inhibitions and I didn't care. The Pokerus was now working on Psyduck, for out went his inhibitions and his much neglected plaything.

His stubby hands went for his stubby cock, but I gently forced my hands under his. "I'll take care of this. You can work your tail."

He remembered that he had a tail and tried to wag it. The super fine feathers tickled me in a way I never felt before. I returned the favor by using all my fingers to please Psyduck. Psyduck tried to race past my pleasure levels and hit his climax, but I knew which pressure point would stop that. "This isn't something to rush. If you rush, you'll forget how this feels, and you don't want to forget this."

"Psy-y-y-y," he moaned.

"This is the good kind of pain. This is like that certain headache that makes everything else possible. Right here," I squeezed his cock for effect, "build up your power right here." He focused his inner strength on his pleasure and forgot about his tail, so I took control of that with my telekinesis. He couldn't hold back any more and released years of repressed pleasure. I released control of my body and raced through his mind for any image and memory that was buried under the amnesia.

The afterglow was spoiled by snickering and a muffled gasp. The snickering was Gengar's, who already retreated through the wall. The gasp was Misty's; she was splattered with Psyduck's cum.

"Good thing you were standing there," I commented. I pointed to the hole in the wall. "He's got a mean Water Gun when he puts his mind to it."

"I thought you were joking about using sex as a cure," Misty stammered. "It didn't work."

I reluctantly pulled Psyduck's tail out of me and turned him around. "It's not Amnesia; he just blacked out," I observed. I made the Pokemon comfortable then went back to showering. "In that brief moment I learned that you are not his original trainer."

"Huh?"

"His original trainer was a girl named Sally. She had pink hair and tied it up like a Corsola. His memories of her and his image of you are blurred together but I'll assume there is some resemblance. Feel free to wash up."

Misty blinked.

I turned on the water for the next shower and motioned for her to use it.

"The trainer Sally's primary Pokemon was a Corsola. Psyduck was attracted to it and was captured. During a two-on-two battle, Psyduck's ability of Damp interfered with Corsola's attacks. I assume it was an Explosion attack due to his reaction to the Ghosts."

"Ghosts?"

"Gengar and his friends were having fun with Explosions, but when Psyduck came out of his Pokeball they couldn't and yelled at him. That triggered a painful memory and he retreated to his Pokeball. How did you capture him?"

"I didn't. He caught himself. We met in a Pokemon Center and he followed us. When I dropped a Pokeball, he touched it and captured himself," explained Misty as she scrubbed herself clean.

"So that's what I learned so far."

"'So far…'" repeated Misty nervously.

"All of the Pokemon here have caught Pokerus and it's affecting me as well. When he comes around, his libido will be set to high. He just started to release a decade of repressed emotions including a very convoluted image of you, Sally and Corsola."

"Me?"

"I've made headway in teaching him Psyche Up and Calm Mind. His Water Gun needs work, but I think a Water Pulse would be more appropriate; unless you have a better idea Misty. You are after all supposed to be the water Pokemon expert."

"Some expert I am. You made more progress than I did in ten years," grumbled Misty.

"You were part of the problem. Now with your marriage it got worse, didn't it? Jealousy, lust, rejection, passive-aggressive behavior: this is more of my sphere of influence than yours."

"What's next?"

"You and Ash could have a threesome," I teased.

"No," replied Misty flatly.

"You could join Psyduck and me for a threesome."

"Hell no."

"I've heard about Ash's thing, but Psyduck's tail is something else. Could I loan him to my research staff?"

"Sabrina…,"growled Misty.

"For a woman that can crush gourds with her pussy, you sure are a prude," I teased.

"I am not turning my Pokemon into sex toys."

"On second thought I've got friends enough of a five-way. If some of them don't want to do the duck directly there's enough human to go around," I pondered out loud. "How long were you going to leave him with me?"

"If all you're going to do is screw him, I'll take him back now," fumed Misty as she washed her clothes in a bucket.

"If that is all I could do with him I would send him back. I don't exploit Pokemon. I exploit humans; just not Pokemon."

Psyduck moaned in his sleep as he rolled onto his back. His phallic was stiff and oozing. "I guess Water Pokemon do have wet dreams," I commented.

"If you were Prof. Orchid, you'd have winked," growled Misty.

"In a few days I could hand off Psyduck to Prof. Orchid, but there are things that need to be done first: I need to finish his Calm Mind and Psych Up training." Misty glared at me. "Okay, Psych Up wasn't necessary for his personal development, but replacing Amnesia is important."

"Why is sending him to Reef Island important?"

"What better way to forget a broken heart and get over unrequited love than with a lot of anonymous sex? That's right: you haven't ever felt that have you? You married the man of your dreams and childhood sweetheart."

"Jealous?"

"Not really. Ash and Haunter made me laugh. I still have Haunter. Besides I'm a bit spoiled by living in the big city."

Misty shook off her clothes under a hair dryer and got dressed.

"I suppose you're used to being wet," I speculated.

"You still didn't blink; I guess that makes you more serious than Ruth. Fine, as a fellow gym leader I'm going to trust that you have Psyduck best interests at heart. Keep him as long as needed."

"I hope you don't want him evolved," I replied.

"?"

"His Tail Whip is amazing."

"Don't make me regret this decision," Misty said with a hint of a threat.

"Comparing how much action he's had in the last decade to you, I'd assume you'd be sympathetic."

Psyduck mumbled in his sleep. I ventured a peek in his mind and give a naughty smile.

"Do I even want to know?" asked Misty.

"He's dreaming of you," I relayed. "He's had a sample of human/Pokemon sex and he likes it."

"You've made things worse," huffed Misty.

"Not really. He always wanted you; now he knows what he wants to do with you. I'd say that's progress."

"Esp es Espeon," offered my Pokemon.

I looked to my guardian Pokemon, who let down her guard. Her eyes glowed like mine and her body hungered like mine as well.

"What did she say?" asked Misty.

"She looks forward to completing Psyduck's training," I interpreted. "She's compatible, capable and desperate for sex."

Espeon blushed.

I mentally asked if Espeon wanted a contraceptive.

She replied that raising a Pokemon would really occupy his mind.

"Misty, I hope you want to raise a Vaporeon, incase Psyduck isn't up to the challenge."

I shook water off of my Poketch and searched my computer records for a suitable room in Saffron Tower. I booked a suite for a maintenance cycle.

"Does this plan meet your approval?" I asked Misty.

She nodded.

Espeon and I huddled together with Psyduck. I activated the warp tile beacon signal and teleported to the suite. The suite was an indoor garden with a prop mansion in it. The traditional paper screens were replaced with a durable, and washable, plastic. The plaster was replaced with concrete. Even the wood floors had enough urethane sealer on it to protect it from the messiest of lovers.

"Since the room is in maintenance cycle, I'll be able to monitor if you need anything."

Espeon was trying not to rub her hind legs together.

I smiled and released Psyduck from my hypnotic sleep.

"Psy?" yawned the bleary Pokemon.

"Espeon is here to complete your training. Do everything she tells you," I instructed.

"?"

"If you know what's good for you," I added before teleporting back to my apartment.

A moment after I materialized, Gardevoir mentally asked about Gengar.

"The Ghosts are having a blast, literally," I mentally replied with an image of explosions and waves of mud.

Satisfied, Gardevoir returned to her mental and vocal lullabies for her eggs.

In the bathroom I couldn't find a bottle of hair detangle shampoo. I went the bedroom for clean clothes while I called Jean on my Poketch.

"Yes Sensei?" she answered.

"Do you have a good detangle shampoo?" I asked.

"You never needed it before," she replied.

"I never swam in a gym full of mud before."

"I'd recommend Jealous Jynx Formula. Do you want me to bring over a bottle?"

"Can I come there to get it? The apartment feels awkward right now."

"Zoey and Yuki say to come on over. Here, I'll activate that beacon you gave us."

My Poketch informed me that the beacon was on. I stretched out my mind and found the teleport path to their apartment. But there was a tiny voice that interrupted. The tiny voice was calling me outside again.

"I'm going to take the long way," I told Jean then levitated off the floor and out of the apartment.

I had flown through Saffron City countless times in my astral form so I had trouble realizing that this was my physical form. When I flew past an office window and a mid level executive screamed then I knew this was me. I decided not to fly through the walls. So I flew over the building instead. I spied a flock of Pidgeys to my right, so I raced off to intercept.

"Hi."

The flying Pokemon scrambled at the sight of a human invading their territory. The Pidgeotto leader challenged me.

"I just wanted to play," I tried to assure her.

She responded with a Quick Attack over my head.

I didn't care what her intentions were, so I chased after her. She dived toward the street below. I followed. She pulled out of her dive at street level then banked hard into a blind alley. I didn't have that level of control, so I teleported straight up. I caught Pidgeotto's intention and teleported to the top of the building at the end of the alley.

The Pidgeotto raced past then did a double take. When she looked back at me, I waved and teleported above her. "Boo!" I laughed and flew past her.

My Poketch buzzed with an incoming call. "Yes Ivan?" I answered.

"Your Natu is back from the Pokemon Center," he replied.

I teleported closer to the gym. "Put her on please."

"Nat?"

"Teleport two hundred meters straight up and I'll see you outside."

I sensed her psychic shift in position long before I could see her tiny frame. "Hi," I greeted as I floated by.

Natu stated it was about time that I learned how to fly.

"Humans are not born with wings, so we don't assume that we can fly."

Natu chirped back.

I laughed, "You're right. Why would I use being human as an excuse?"

"Whoop; here comes someone without a sense of humor," I warned as Pidgeotto intercepted us.

Natu dodged effortlessly and directed me to the side.

Pidgeotto circled back and issued threats.

"For your information: this is my city. You and your flock were passing through and I just wanted to play. Since you've been chasing me, what happened to your flock?"

Beads of sweat formed on her brow as she realized what happened. After Pidgeotto raced off in the wrong direction, I told Natu, "Go after her. We'll use Saffron Tower as a meeting place."

Natu agreed and followed the panicked Pidgeotto.

I teleported to the tower and warned Gardevoir, "Natu and I are rescuing a lost flock of Pidgeys. We'll keep them outside in the garden."

I went out to the ledge and looked down. There I saw three Pidgeys flying by. I projected an image of Pidgeotto racing up the building to their minds. They followed by riding up the thermals in small loops.

"Natu," I called out telepathically.

I received her faint thoughts as she was moving away from the tower. I teleported near Natu and saw the racing Pidgeotto, so I teleported onto her back, grabbed her and teleported her to my garden.

Rage, confusion and flight flooded Pidgeotto's mind.

"STOP!" I commanded vocally and telepathically. "This is my garden and you can use it as a base to find your friends." I rolled off of her back a moment before the three Pidgeys landed on the ledge and looked around. Pidgeotto looked to them then to me. "This is the tallest building in the city, so it should be easy to find."

Natu teleported into the garden and explained that I was really a good person (toward Pokemon).

"Pidgeotto, how many are in your flock?"

Pidgeotto didn't have a concept of numbers.

"If you meet a member of your flock, then you know who they are?"

They agreed.

"Then one of you should stay here, while the others look. Stay close to the Tower so you don't get lost in the city. If you find a friend, send them here."

As they left to search, Nurse Joy called. "Would you please pick up Gengar, Haunter and Gastly?" asked Nurse Joy with less than her usual patience.

I teleported to the Pokemon Center. A young, sobbing trainer raced past; he had a bucket of whitewash on his head.

"Gastly, Haunter and Gengar! Come here now!" I ordered.

They reluctantly phased through the walls and floor.

"I need you to come with me now," I ordered.

They slinked together and I teleported us back to the garden.

"We have a lost flock of Pidgey that needs to be found. Gengar, you know these rooftops and alleys better than any of us. You direct Gastly and Haunter to look in places where a Pidgey could get lost or stuck. Send them here. There are two Pidgeys and a Pidgeotto looking as well."

"Gastly gas?"

"Yes we remodeled," I replied

"Haunter?"

"It's best to wait for the Pokerus to pass before you bother Gardevoir or she'll turn you inside out; right Gengar?"

Gengar shrugged and beckoned his fellow ghosts to follow.

My Poketch beeped again. "Sorry Jean; I got sidetracked by a Pidgey rescue."

"Do you need help sensei?"

"I would appreciate it, but you guys had a hard day."

"If you appreciate it enough, you could buy us dinner."

"Deal."

"Yuki says, 'Pokemon Chow doesn't count'."

"Round up the rest of the Pokemon from the gym."

"Okay."

Four new Pidgeys gathered on the roof before my staff arrived. Jean and Zoey, despite her levelheadedness, were stunned as Yuki dragged them through the apartment.

"How could you do that to your own gym?" asked Zoey.

"The Pokemon were having fun and so was I. We just got carried away."

"There is a crack through my office wall," muttered Jean.

"The gym was never designed with proper shielding to protect against Explosions. It didn't have proper protection against fire," I remarked. "I guess that I was supposed to do that. Oh well, I've done worse."

"Anyway; here's the plan: Pidgeotto got separated from her flock of Pidgeys and they scattered. Fortunately, Saffron Tower is in line with their migration route and where they scattered. They scattered near the Poke-Com office tower, which is that pinkish building over there. Natu, Gengar, Haunter and Gastly are searching as well as Pidgeotto and two Pidgeys. The problem is that this part of the city doesn't have any big parks. It's mostly rooftops and narrow alleys."

"So levitation is the key," replied Yuki as she released Claydol, Solrock, Lunatone and my Rotom.

Jean released her Misdreavus and Zoey released her Mismagius.

The levitating Pokemon each took a tall building as the center of their search area. I stood on the roof and watched. I stretched out my senses for any trouble. Time went by until something caught my attention: a flock of Murkrow. I couldn't sense their minds, but I could feel the panic they instilled in others.

"Rotom, where are you?" I mentally broadcasted.

The little ball of plasma pulsed from a rooftop full of equipment.

"Fly toward those Murkrow, I'll meet you on the way."

I leaped after him, only to be stopped by shrieks and Gardevoir's and Jean's best telekinetic pull.

I turned around on the ledge and asked, "What's going on?"

"What are you doing?" demanded Yuki. "Have you lost your mind?"

"Rotom and I can handle a flock of Murkrow. Now let go."

"So you can jump off the building?" asked Jean.

"Yes," I replied calmly.

"And you're going to just fly away?" added Yuki who was just short of hysterical.

"That's what I've was doing when I spooked the Pidgey." I turned to the Pidgey that gathered in the garden, "Right?"

They nodded.

I was still held down.

I stepped off of the ledge and onto the garden. The psychic hold was loosened, slightly.

"Jean, you have been one of my best students and your skills as a teacher put me to shame. Yuki, you have come a long way from Mossdeep and you've trained your Pokemon well. But you two still have a way to go as psychics. Gardevoir: release me."

Once free of their holds, I levitated up five meters. "I tell you about when I get back," I offered before I raced off in the direction of the Murkrow.

As I suspected, the Murkrow gang had found intruders in their turf: a pair of Pidgeys. Normally an intruder would get a thrashing before being chased away, but I decided to intervene.

"Thank you for finding my lost friends. I'll be taking them with me now."

"Murkrow, krow murk," replied the leader in a tone that wasn't pleasant.

Rotom told me that it was a statement of ownership.

"You don't own this city. You don't own the rooftops. You don't own the skies," I explained. "You're not even from this city. You moved in a few years ago. If you behaved yourself then I would have left you alone."

The lower ranked Murkrows were getting bolder and started to caw. The Murkrows that held the Pidgeys in their feet started to squeeze.

"Rotom, I'm going to get those two Pidgey. I'll put up a Protect and you hit the rest with Discharge," I mentally confided. "Hit those two with your Shadow Ball, it won't hurt the Pidgey."

Rotom shot off a Shadow Ball that startled the Murkrow, but did little damage. The attack did give me an opening to fly in and grab the hostages. The Pidgeys and Murkrows in my grasp struggled and pecked. I put up the Protect and Rotom shocked every Murkrow in sight.

I fell like a stone.

The four flying Pokemon in my Protect attacked me more as we fell. As a rooftop got closer the Pokemon panicked and flew up and bounced off the inside of my Protect. Since the Pidgey we're free, I let them all loose and tried hard to levitate again. I stopped inches away from the roof, and only crushed one air conditioner.

Half of the Murkrow gang fell unconscious on the roof around me. The others rallied around their leader and launched a counter attack of Nightshade and a powerful Dark Pulse. I shot an Aura Sphere at their leader, but that cost me too much altitude, so I landed in someone's laundry.

Levitate or fight, but not both.

The stray Pidgey were fleeing in the wrong direction; Rotom was outnumbered and lost the element of surprise. I threw two Ultra Balls to capture the Pidgey and thankfully they did. I landed on a nearby roof and hit the Murkrow leader with another Aura Sphere. Rotom was brought down by a Sucker Punch. I recalled Rotom to his Pokeball, gathered the two Ultra Balls, and teleported home.

"What happened to you?" asked Yuki.

"We got in a fight with a Murkrow gang. But I did collect two stray Pidgey," which I released from the Ultra Balls. The little ones looked about and saw one of their fellows. "I only captured you so I could bring you back. Once the flock is back together you can go with them."

"I hope the Murkrow didn't get infected," pondered Zoey.

"They had kept to themselves," I mentioned. "This could get bad, if they wound up on Pokerus."

"You may have a Pokemon Gang War," speculated Zoey.

"Ghosts and psychics against Murkrow; most people would bet on the Murkrow," stated Jean.

"But it would be good training for battling Paul's Honchkrow. He came by today and asked for a match," explained Zoey.

"If it comes down to a gang war, we have one advantage: we can capture them," I noted.

I mentally warned our Pokemon in the field to stay clear of the Murkrow. I treated Rotom's injuries while other Pidgey filtered in, some of which were never part of the flock but wanted to join. I called for all of our Pokemon to return. By sunset all of the Pidgey were present. Pidgeotto was relieved and exhausted so they were invited to spend the night in the garden, while our Pokemon kept an eye out for the Murkrow.

"Anyone want pizza?" I asked.

Yuki flinched.

"Are you buying?" asked Zoey.

"You could say I'm treating."

"Sabrina, please," asked Yuki.

I smiled at our new private joke. Zoey and Jean looked to Yuki for answers, but Yuki just blushed.

I placed the call and heard, "Domination Pizza: we dominate the pizza delivery business. How may I help you?"

"I'd like two large Saffron specials, three large ghost breath specials and three psychic specials. Do you have anything for flying Pokemon?"

"We have the Fearless Fearow and the Not-so-Farfetch'd."

"What's the difference?"

"Worms or seeds," he explained.

"Seeds," I replied, "Two large."

"Will that be all?"

"Yes."

"The total is 15000. Are you Sabrina?"

"Yes."

"We have your warp location as Saffron Tower Plaza, is this correct?"

"I need to update that."

There was the sound of keys being taped. "What is your new location?"

"Enter the following E5251 N2019 U218."

He repeated back my location as he typed it in.

"How will the delivery person reach your location after the warp?"

"Enter the following, 'Ring the door bell'."

"Thank you. We should be there in twenty minutes."

After I finished the call, Yuki joked, "So there is some domination in this city that you don't own?"

"Isn't Domination Pizza a little overt, even for you?" asked Zoey.

"Domination Pizza started across the street from the Suzuki Senior High School, home of the Dominators," I explained. "Behind the pizza restaurant was a little love hotel call 'The Assembly' which was popular for several after school programs. I bought out the love hotel and placed a warptile. I called the restaurant and asked for a delivery to the observation deck and they got the bright idea to use the warptile network for deliveries. We worked out a fee schedule and linked into my father's network."

"Your father?" asked Zoey.

"The warp tile system was his big project. He was one of the most adept teleporters in our family, so he worked with the researchers at Sylph Company to develop the warptile network. He wanted to produce a system that could rival the rail network, but he could never get the costs down and the capacity up enough to put the trains out of business. Since he's a rail buff, I bet he didn't try hard enough."

"But you found a use for it," prompted Yuki.

"The average trip to a love hotel will generate 20000 in revenue and the customers don't window shop. With 1000 going to pay the warp tile network I could offset the lower fees assessed to the video booth users and boutique shoppers.

"If I ran a full scale luxury hotel, I suppose I could bring down the cost per warp to 500."

"I still think it's suspicious that you have dealings with Domination Pizza," remarked Yuki.

"I make sure to listen to the introduction when they answer the phone. I've accidently called the other place before."

"Other…" the three prompted.

"Dominatrix pizza," I deadpanned.

"You made that up," replied Zoey.

"Um, not really," Jean interjected. "It's a real company that markets their delivery people, including submissive deliver boys and leather clad women."

"So why didn't you call them?" asked Yuki.

"Their pizza is crap," I replied. "Our women and pizzas are both tough as leather," I mocked.

We all got a good laugh.

Twenty minutes later we were all eating good pizza in the garden. "Are you going to explain the joke?" asked Zoey.

"Joke?" I asked coyly.

"You pointed to the phrase, 'hand tossed pizza' logo on the box and winked."

I picked up Poliwag and floated her into the air. "Poli!" she cheered.

"Gold duck," warned my other Pokemon.

I floated the little Pokemon onto Spoink's head. "Look at that, Spoink remembered to keep his pearl," I joked.

Poliwag bent over, smiled at Spoink then rolled off and across the garden.

"That wouldn't cause Yuki to blush," observed Jean.

"But it's the reason that I won't explain the joke at this time."

"Aw," whined Jean.

Luckily the Murkrow didn't bother us. Unfortunately the Pidgey caught Pokerus so they were restless all night.

I shut the patio doors to keep down the noise of the Pidgey. Gardevoir gave Gengar a sharp word, and kept down the noise of the ghosts. We humans took turns sleeping so we could keep watch over the guests.

I was as restless as the Pokemon, so I rarely slept more than twenty minutes at a time.

"You were in the news again, sensei," mentioned Jean as she watched TV. I exited my light trance and watched. The report was of an unusual Pokemon sighting, possibly Gli-girl.

"I suppose I have a Gli-girl costume somewhere," I mused.

"An authorized costume or the sexy knock off?" asked Jean.

"Since people will eventually find out that it was me, I'd better not wear any costume."

"Nude?" teased Jean.

"No."

"Good. How are the Pokemon?"

"No sighting of Murkrow. The Pidgey are sparring and doing weight training. Espeon has taught Psyduck Water Pulse and Calm Mind."

"How are you doing?" asked Jean as she tried to look into my eyes.

"I'm fine."

"So why have you been lifting the couch for the last hour?"

"So I don't fly away," I quipped.

"I'm good at keeping secrets," offered Jean.

"I would hope that my grandmother's spy could keep secrets."

"She just asked me to keep an eye on you and Yuki when we went to Reef Island," explained Jean.

"I have Pokerus," I confessed.

"So you're as restless as they are."

"If I don't burn off a lot of energy it builds up and makes me a little crazy."

"Crazy enough to jump off of buildings and destroy the gym," she concluded.

"And threaten Paul."

"Will you need a lawyer?"

"No."

"Good; the bastard deserved it."

"If we're trading secrets: did you and Zoey… you know?"

"No. You'd be surprised to know that there are people that can go for over a month without sex."

"Shocking," I replied. "Is Zoey fitting in?"

"The miracle with Hugh was worth a lot of points with the students. Her battle skills and contest record gave her a great standing amongst the students."

"I knew she'd do well with the students. How is Zoey doing with herself and what's her name?"

"As level headed as a Slowking."

"Gar Gardevoir," offered my Pokemon as she walked in and carried her two eggs in a basket.

"She said 'go get some sleep'," I translated.

After Jean shuffled off to the bedroom, Gardevoir added that she meant for me to get some sleep too.

"You know I can't sleep; just like you can't sleep."

Gardevoir put the basket on the couch and sat down.

"It's obvious to me that you're nervous. Some of what you're feeling is the Pokerus."

Gardevoir opened her hand. She had a small sphere of garden soil which she psychically crushed to a stone.

"I like your interpretation of a worry bead," I smiled. "It doesn't make others worry like lifting couches or flying."

Gardevoir then explained the source of her worry: she could only sense thoughts from one egg!

"Stay calm. Do you want to go to the Pokemon Center?"

Yes.

We moved downstairs to the warptile and materialized outside the Pokemon Center. At this time of night it was locked shut, but with very little effort we were inside. Nurse Joy met us inside the examination room.

Gardevoir crushed her pebble to dust while we waited for the results.

"Both eggs are fine and healthy," reported Joy.

Gardevoir was so relieved she fainted.

"Gardevoir said she could only sense one mind," I conveyed.

"My instruments tell me that you have two healthy eggs. They can't tell me what kind of Pokemon they will be or their abilities."

"It could be that the two Pokemon are linked so strongly that they would appear to be one mind," I speculated.

"I'll defer to you on that. Is there anything else you need tonight?"

"Fifty pounds of Flying Pokemon seed mix."

"Did you make friends with the Murkrow?"

"As if." I rolled my eyes.

"Shall I put it on your account, or the gym's?"

"Mine, thank you."

"Gard," added my Pokemon in a tiny voice.

"What did you do with the other one?" I asked.

Gardevoir replied.

"Heat of moment," I summarized. "My Pokemon needs some 'protection' since she tossed the other one off the building."

We took possession of our goods and returned home. Once equipped, Gardevoir slipped off to find Gengar for some fun. I was left on the couch to watch the eggs.

"You two better have the energy to keep up in this crazy household," I joked to the eggs.

"Talking to eggs?" asked a bleary-eyed Yuki.

"Gardevoir needed a break and I don't know any lullabies."

"So you use sarcasm? Your children are going to be really screwed up."

"My children?"

"The only heir to a long family of psychics: the pressure to have children will be too strong for you to resist."

"True. I'm used to exploiting humans; so I can find a suitable sperm donor. I wonder if I could rent Ash Ketchem."

"Misty would kill you."

"I heard if you get her drunk then dare her she'll let Ash do anyone."

"How is Ash going to react to his drunk-love child living in the big city to the south?"

"Should I ask him?"

"Do a good job with Psyduck first."

"Hold on." I sent my mind downstairs and contacted Espeon, "Had enough?"

Espeon teleported into the living room with two eggs and a Pokeball.

"Did you leave us anything to play with?"

She rolled the Pokeball towards me and psychically carried an egg to her basket. She curled up and kept the egg warm.

"Keep an eye on the eggs," I told Yuki, as I scooped up the discarded egg and Pokeball.

I accessed the Pokeball Transport System and located the Cerulean Gym. After a deep breath, I teleported. As I was looking for a good place to put the egg, Ash Ketchem staggered into the room and said, "Stop raiding the fridge for snacks Psyduck."

He really is as well hung as the rumors suggest.

"Sorry for coming so late. Here is Misty's Psyduck, and a new Pokemon egg. I hope you are awake enough to take care of it."

"Sabrina?"

"Good; you can remember me, but not your clothes."

"How did you get in here?"

I put the egg in his hands, confident that he was holding on, I let go.

"The same way that I'll leave," I said. I ran the transport system in reverse and teleported home.

I walked upstairs from my private warp tile and back to the living room. Yuki was still on the couch and fussing over the eggs. I sat down and said, "I doubt I'd have to get Misty drunk. Ash may be a genius on the Pokemon battlefield, but he's is clueless around the house."

"It's two in the morning," observed Yuki. "Decent people are in bed."

"He wasn't decent."

"Jean would be so jealous."

"I could have hypnotized him and pretended to be Misty," I speculated.

"I would fear for the safety of the world. Imagine a boy with Ash's thing, Delia Ketchem's libido and your psychic ability."

"Sounds like a movie plot," I mused.

"Great, run it by Jean in the morning."

"I think there are more pressing matters to deal with: the Pidgey," I remarked.

"Do you have a plan?"

"The same plan that I had when Rotom and I battled the Murkrow: run away."

"Will the Pidgey go along with that?"

"If they battle the Murkrow now, it will cause more harm than good. If they train for a week then the Pokerus will pass and they won't need our protection. I know a good place to take them. There is a little village in the woods near Vermilion City. Remember that woman Melanie, who brought me the Drowzee?" Yuki nodded. "She takes care of sick and abandoned Pokemon until they can return to the wild. The Pidgey with their Pokerus could train with her Pokemon and speed their recovery."

"Good plan."

"Then I'll go out and discuss it with them." I went out to the garden. The Pidgey were very busy. Some were flapping furiously as they lifted barbells; others were sparring with Wing Attack. My own Natu was working out.

I conveyed my idea to their Pidgeotto leader, who agreed. The only problem was that if the Murkrow attack, they'll have the sun to their backs. "Haunter, I hope you didn't forget Thunderbolt so you could play with Explosion."

"…ter…"

"Gengar, Haunter and Rotom; we're going back to the gym and relearn our attacks."

We teleported back to the shambles of the gym and searched for my set of technical machine disks. Jean's office wall may have been cracked, but all the plaster fell off of mine. In little over an hour Haunter had Thunderbolt, Shadow Ball, Dark Pulse and Sludge Bomb. Gengar had Shadow Ball, Psychic, Hyper Beam and Torment. Rotom had Discharge, Signal Beam and Shadow Ball. I left the Rotom open for a fourth move based upon what form I gave him. I wished I had shopped for new appliances for Rotom.

We teleported back to the apartment and ate cold pizza for breakfast.

"Do you want to take Solrock and Lunatone with you?" asked Yuki. "Their Explosion/Protect combo could be very useful."

I secured their Pokeballs to my belt. My Ghosts were ready: Gastly, Haunter and Gengar would fly with me; Rotom will stay in his Pokeball until needed. The Pidgeys wanted a fight.

"We don't want the Murkrow to be stronger. So we're going to a secret training area. When you're ready you can come back and fight."

Pidgeotto shouted for her flock to behave and do as they're told.

"Natu will fly with Pidgeotto. She can communicate with me over long distances and we can coordinate our movements."

We took to the skies!

Not really. My group headed directly south between the buildings. Pidgeotto and Natu took the skies; they flew to our west and kept a lookout for the Murkrow. If the situation wasn't so tense, I would have enjoyed it.

When we left the core of the city the tension lessened and we enjoyed the flight. Once we were over forests we climbed in altitude. The morning had a bit of crispness to it which put everyone in a better mood. Finding Melanie's cottage took several tries and spreading out the Pidgeys, but we landed without incident.

"Did you just fly?" asked a stunned Melanie.

"Of course; I have Gengar, Haunter and Gastly with me," I explained. This put her at ease. "Have you picked up any new psychic Pokemon?"

"No, just the occasional Oddish and Rattata."

A Staryu moved out of the water.

"Is that the same Staryu as last year?"

"That is the same Staryu for the last ten years. It just doesn't leave."

"No surprise; we're miles from its natural habitat. It hasn't gotten stronger since this is the wrong type of water for it," I observed.

"Oh my. Maybe I should take it to Misty."

"The gym leader?" I asked.

"Yes. She was here with Ash years ago. Ash battled and captured a Bulbasaur here. I wonder why Misty didn't mention anything about Staryu."

"She was probably distracted," I dismissed.

I crouched down to Staryu's level. "Let me be honest with you: This pond has the wrong kind of water for you and you know it. I can sense that it makes you sick. I just brought these Pidgey's from Saffron City for their protection. Now they can train and grow strong. I would like to take you with me to Saffron City so you can train and get strong. When you're better, if you want to leave and return to the ocean that will be your choice."

The word 'leave' triggered several memories.

"All your friends left, didn't they? They got healthy and left for their own adventures. Bulbasaur went with Ash. Drowzee came to my gym and he's still there. Even if you made friends with these Pidgeys, they will have to leave too. I can take you to a place where you will make friends that won't leave you at the change of the seasons."

Haunter explained that he has been with me since Ash brought him to the gym.

Staryu was convinced. So I picked it up and flew south.

"Gengar?"

"No we're not going home yet. I want to do some shopping in Vermilion City."

Staryu insisted that it wanted to fly too.

"How?"

It slipped free of my grasp and used Rapid Spin. It spun around us like a manic shuriken.

"Then your 'it'."

"?"

"Try to touch one of us with your Rapid Spin."

Staryu learned the game quickly. Solrock and Lunatone joined our game of tag. Staryu and I both improved our maneuverability before Staryu got fatigued. I grabbed it before it dipped into the trees. The feelings of joy and freedom that came off of Staryu held me aloft until we reached the Vermilion Gym.

"Sabrina!" boomed the obnoxious, electric gym leader Lt. Surge. "You look like an angel coming down from heaven."

"Surrounded by ghost Pokemon," I added. "I'm here to buy an electric bike."

"You don't have to make excuses to see me," he beamed.

"Serge, I make excuses so I don't have to see you."

"Ha ha ha!"

Gastly, Gengar and Haunter chuckled at Surge's stupidity. Even Staryu could tell that Surge was dense.

I walked to the bicycle showroom next to the gym.

Inside the automatic doors, a young salesman greeted me, "Welcome to Surge Cycles."

Rotom slipped out of his ball and possessed the door control just in time to close it on Surge's face.

Rotom amused himself by trying to bite off bits of Surge with the sliding door.

"As Mr. Surge can see, I have a Rotom," I explained to the clerk. "I would like an electric assisted bicycle that Rotom could possess."

"We have models designed for Magnemite and Magneton, but I am not familiar with a Rotom."

"Rotom," I called. "Try this one."

Rotom left the door and possessed the bike and then it fell over.

"You're not used to two wheels," I explained.

"We do have a three wheel model," offered the clerk.

"Use your levitate ability to right yourself, then use the spinning wheels to provide stability," I instructed.

Rotom quickly mastered the bicycle and proceeded to chase Surge out of the store.

Before I bought Rotom's newest toy, I saw a modern version of the pedicab. "Is that electric as well?"

"Oh yes. It has regenerative braking so energy isn't wasted on braking…" He was going through a list of specs that bored me. I did spy that Surge's Raichu was about to attack Rotom; so I mentally called Rotom to leave the bike and return.

Raichu fried the bike with a Thunderbolt. The attack also overcharged the motor so the bike lurched forward and rammed Surge. Haunter slyly moved the fallen husk of a bike so Surge's foot would get stuck in the spokes.

The pedicab in question had a plastic shell that covered the passengers in the rear and partially covered the driver in front. It looked like a yellow and black taxi made out of a giant fish head. Once Rotom possessed the pedicab the yellows were replaced by orange and the edge of the canopy grew teeth.

"Something is missing," I mused. I took a pair of head lamps placed them on the roof of the pedicab so Rotom could have glowing eyes. Gengar and Haunter approved. Staryu was ambivalent. "We'll take it," I declared.

"Um," muttered the clerk as he fumbled for words.

"The other bike was clearly destroyed by Lt. Surge and his Raichu. He is taking full responsibility for the loss."

"Yes ma'am."

I quickly paid with a card and rode out the door. We pulled up to Surge and I said, "Tell your brother that last time was wonderful and I look forward doing _it___again," before speeding off to the Pokemon Center.

"Geng?"

"I just said that to annoy him," I laughed.

We worked our way to the local Pokemon Center, where Nurse Joy gave Staryu a check up and confirmed my suspicions about salt deprivation. In three months of gradual increases in salt levels, Staryu should be ready to return to the sea. Nurse Joy also confirmed that Staryu caught Pokerus.

"That just means we need to get back and train," I announced.

Staryu and the ghosts agreed.

Outside the Pokemon Center all the levitating Pokemon took to the sky except Rotom who was snapping his canopy at passing trainers. "Rotom?" asked my electric type.

"I say we should race them with the bike," I offered.

Rotom agreed. I put Staryu in the backseat and raced off to Saffron City. Natu gave up chasing after us and teleported to my shoulder.

"I wish I had a speedometer," I declared as we passed a car.

We passed another car as we weaved our way up the forest lined road. Natu kept her senses open for any obstacles. Unfortunately she didn't think to look for the police.

We were pulled over by Officer Jenny. "Do you know how fast you were going?" she asked.

"No I don't since this bike doesn't have a speedometer," I replied.

"Vehicle registration and license please."

"I don't have a license, and this is just a bicycle," I tried to explain.

"Then how did you go sixty miles an hour?"

"Rotom?" asked my Pokemon.

"Yes that is fast," I replied to my Pokemon. "I was just training my Pokemon Officer. I didn't realize how strong my Pokemon was."

"Your Pokemon propelled a bicycle to sixty?"

"A few weeks ago we had three trail bikes up to fifty."

"That was you?"

"We were just training Pokemon. Both times I had a Future Sight using Pokemon looking for trouble. Unfortunately she doesn't know how to read signs."

Officer Jenny shook her head. "If you stuck to a regular bike there would be less trouble. But this bike has a motor, tiny though. So now you have a motor vehicle and have to obey a different set of laws."

Rotom left the pedicab and looked dejected. "Tom."

"Rotom said, 'Bummer'."

"I'll let you off with a warning this time," offered Jenny.

"Thanks," I replied.

Gengar, Gastly and Haunter were lurking in the shadows.

Jenny handed me the warning, then rode off.

I recalled Rotom to its Pokeball, placed the ball in a capsule and released Rotom who now possessed warptile beacon.

"If everyone would be patient for a moment," I instructed. I teleported the bike and myself to my apartment's warptile. I pushed the pedicab into the corner and teleported to Yoshida's, where I raced up to the toy department and purchased a radio controlled model airplane then teleported back to Rotom's signal.

Before I could place the airplane on the ground, Rotom left the signal beacon and possessed the airplane.

"Other way," I ordered as Rotom sped off. Rotom banked then raced along the road for home. I picked up the beacon and Staryu and put them in my pack. Then levitated after the other Pokemon.

Staryu expressed that it wanted out, so I loosen the pack and let him fly. As I kept an eye on the Rapid Spinner, I called Grandmother Lilith.

"Come up for air?" she asked.

"What?"

"Nevermind. What are you doing?"

"Exercising my Pokemon," I answered. "You probably heard that we all but destroyed the gym."

"Yes. So what are your plans?"

"Rebuild of course; but this time I'd like to build bigger. Could we rebuild Marsh Castle and the queen's keep?"

"I was hoping that you'd say that. I still have the original plans for Marsh Castle and the keep, but where will you put the gym?"

"We don't have to be completely original. How about a concrete foundation for the queen's keep and make the gym mostly underground?"

"'Underground'," repeated my grandmother as she made notes.

"I hope you know a good architect, because mine designs everything after toilets," I joked. "Hold on a second. Staryu, that's enough for now. Climb back in the sack."

"Taking those comments out of context, I would say 'shame on you'," teased my grandmother.

"… You think I'm doing it with a Staryu?"

Natu snickered.

"?" wondered my Staryu.

"You've built a tower to feed your appetite," she reminded me.

"That's it. I'm going to show you what I'm doing, so get a camera." I sent a beacon signal to grandma's phone and asked Natu, "Can you see the path?"

Natu did, so we teleported above Grandmother's nice house at the edge of the city. When my Poketch adjusted to the new cell, I said to grandmother, "Come outside." I waited and she did. She also sensed the psychic energy that I was emitting and looked up.

She snapped a photo with her cell phone and teased, "Baby's first steps."

I landed and caught my breath. "I was hoping for a bit more surprise than that."

"You want me to faint or something?"

"Not really," I admitted.

"Good. Care for a cup of tea?"

"I'd love some." My stomach rumbled. "Do you have some cake?" I asked.

We went inside and looked over the blueprints and concept sketches for Marsh Castle. There was a map of the underground and a list of local businesses. "You were thinking of a renewal zone," I observed.

"Of course, Yoshida's isn't the only retail outlet I'm involved in."

"So this is an underground shopping mall that connects this subway station to the practice field. Turn the practice field into a park?"

"It is a park," my grandmother pointed out. "But it doesn't showcase anything but Saffron Gym and that is out of fashion. The park with a new landscaping would showcase the Castle and provide a great meeting place for a museum or other cultural venues."

"What about the marsh? Isn't the ground just mud for a hundred meters down?" I asked.

"Yes. The dojo and the gym are built on pilings; this is why we couldn't build any of this without compromising the existing buildings."

"I have no problem in removing my gym to make room for the subway station and construction, but I do have concerns about safety. If a Pokemon uses Dig are they going to endanger the trains?"

"…"

"Staryu is restless," I pointed out.

"Go exercise your Pokemon and yourself."

As I went to the door I called out, "I'd like a pool for the Pokemon, students and Yuki."

"I'll tell the architect."

Once we were out of the house, Staryu did cartwheels to build up speed then took to the sky with Rapid Spin; Natu and I followed. "Head towards the tallest building," I instructed.

Staryu tried very hard to make it all the way to the tower, but just didn't have the stamina. Natu was flying above us and spotted a pond in a public garden. Staryu swung around and took a dip, which startled some shutterbugs as they tried to frame the perfect shot of early autumn leaves reflected in the pond.

"Stay down for a little longer," I projected to Staryu. I floated around the focused camera users and landed. "That Staryu is going to come back up in the same place, if you want to get ready," I announced.

They set their cameras for an action shot.

"Ready?"

All but two nodded. A moment later everyone was ready.

"Staryu, come out of the water using Rapid Spin when I say 'go'," I projected. "Ready…go!"

Shutters whirred as the Staryu burst from the surface and continued on to Saffron Tower. Several shutterbugs clapped. Two turned to thank me.

"If you are willing to share your photos, just email them to the Saffron Gym," I said as I levitated into the air. One person fainted. Two others scrambled to train their cameras on me but I moved too fast. The others didn't notice but rather were waiting to the water in the pond to settle so they could get the perfect shot.

"I love Saffron City," I thought to Natu and my city.


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Lemon Warning: If you don't know what a lemon is or you know you're not supposed to read it, then don't. Really, if you're under 18, go read something else.

Author's notes: This is the second chapter in the 'The Beast' story arc. I'll let you think about what that is supposed to mean.

The Beast Goes to Work

My Poketch buzzed with an incoming call from Grandma Lilith. "There are two things that you need to remember as you fly around the city. One: don't forget to monitor your energy levels; you are flying like a rocket and not a bird. Two: when the Pokérus is out of your system you may suffer a loss of power. In both cases, what am I telling you to avoid?"

"Crashing," I replied.

"Good. Keep that in mind, and have fun," added grandma before she hung up.

I caught up to Staryu, who was flying towards Saffron Tower while using Rapid Spin. Natu was flying above us and kept her Future Sight open for a body of water for Staryu to replenish in.

"Things to do," I said to myself. "Staryu needs a salt water tank. Gardevoir and Espeon need a safe place for their eggs. The gym needs to be emptied, demolished and rebuilt. I need to prepare for a gym battle with Paul…" I called Ivan, "Ivan, I want you to do a search on the trainer Paul from Sinnoh. I want to know if he had a Kirlia, or its evolutions. If he did, I want to know where and when, if he traded the Pokémon or if he released it."

"Yes Milady," he replied, but he sounded like he was straining.

"What are you doing?"

"Packing Milady."

"Thank you. I don't want the students in the gym because I don't think it's safe. I'll come by about after lunch with some help. Don't push yourself too hard, and don't risk your safety for things."

"Yes Milady."

Natu directed Staryu to a public fountain. I followed them down and caught my breath. Buzz: Father was calling. "Yes papa?"

"Sabrina, when you get a chance I'd like you to come by the office so I can coordinate your disappearance with the warp system records."

"Does it have to be today? My Pokémon caught Pokérus and I don't want waste the opportunity to train."

"Could you fit me into your calendar on Tuesday?" teased my father.

"Yes dad. Say, 'Hi,' to mom for me. Bye."

Buzz. "Hi mom," I answered.

Staryu was floating happily in the fountain. Natu landed on my head to rest.

"Sabrina dear, would you and Yuki like to come over for dinner tonight?"

"My Pokémon just caught Pokérus, and I've started a major remodel of the gym. Can we do it Tuesday after I meet with dad?"

"Tuesday will be fine. Take care."

Buzz. "Yes Yuki?"

"I think Gardevoir and Espeon want us out of the apartment."

"Get the others into their Pokeballs and meet me at Kiyo's dojo. We can train outside."

Something in the distance boomed. I felt a drop go down the back of my shirt. "Natu, did you do that?"

"?"

"Great: rain," I muttered.

"Reign of who?" asked Yuki.

"Rain as in an offshore typhoon," I explained as I checked my Poketch for a weather update. "At least it will put a damper on the explosions."

"Ha ha," replied Yuki dryly.

"We're going to empty the gym today."

"Got it."

After Yuki hung up, I asked Staryu, "Are you ready to finish this trip?"

"!"

"Good, then I'll race you," I replied as I took to the air.

The rain started to fall and sting my face.

Staryu's Rapid Spin just cut through the rain.

When we finally landed at my penthouse, my clothes were soaked and Staryu was exhausted. The only thoughts left in the apartment were Espeon's and Gardevoir's. I let them be as I toweled off and changed. "Where are you?" I texted to Yuki.

"On the subway," she replied.

"You don't trust the warptile?"

"I don't trust teleporting."

"Staryu, Natu are you ready to go?" I asked.

The two Pokémon followed me downstairs to the warptile. I programmed it for the closest warptile to the ruined gym and with a push of a button, there we were. There was also a twenty foot long shipping container next to the front door. Ivan came out of the gym and pushed a filing cabinet into the container.

"Not the proudest moment in the Saffron Gym's history," I remarked.

Ivan shrugged.

I followed him inside. He had been empting Jean's classroom, which was only slightly damaged. The chairs and tables were gone as were a few filing cabinets.

"Are there any rooms that are going to get wet?" I asked.

"I haven't checked all the rooms Milady."

I went to the storerooms on the second floor. There were cracks in the walls and the floor, but the roof was rather intact. I called Ivan and said, "We will need more containers."

"I have another on the way," he replied.

I finished my inspection of the gym; the others hadn't arrived, but an empty container did. I opened the doors to the container and told Natu and Staryu to keep watch.

I followed Ivan into Yuri's classroom. "Ivan, I wished you had developed further as a psychic."

"I'm sorry Milady."

I marked a space on the floor that had the same dimensions as the new shipping container. "Just help me stack things in this space and against the wall."

Ivan stacked chairs; I moved the filing cabinets and pretty soon we had a dense mass of furniture. "Natu," I mentally called.

"Nat."

I saw through the little one's eyes. "Good, stay right there." I mirrored her position relative to the container with my position relative to the furniture then teleported everything into the container.

[Error in recording] "nreo94nv 4t g43"

"Are you alright Milady?"

"I don't recall ever moving that much mass before," I puffed.

Natu spied the rest of my staff leaving the subway station.

"Help has arrived," I announced. "Ivan, take a break from the heavy lifting and call for another container."

Soon I had the psychic Pokémon moving furniture, while the others made sure that the contents were snug in the container.

The gym was empty in time for dinner. So we sat on the floor in the main hallway and ate takeout food that Yuki and Zoey purchased. The rain was splashing through a hole over the main battlefield.

"Okay staff, what do you want in the new gym?" I asked as I put some mustard on a steamed bun.

"Pool," was Yuri's immediate response.

"Salt, fresh or chlorinated water?" I asked.

"?"

"Is it to be a pool for Pokémon or humans? If for Pokémon, then what kind? Staryu here has suffered from spending a decade in the wrong kind of water, and I'm sure that your Starmie would like to be reminded of home. But Golduck and the Slowpoke evolutions need fresh water."

"Work, work, work," sighed Yuri.

"Shielding between classrooms and a reinforced battlefield," I listed.

"Exercise and playground equipment," requested Jean.

"Dressing rooms and enough seating for a Pokémon Contest," requested Zoey.

"A security booth?" asked Ivan.

I nodded to Ivan. "Zoey, can we have Pokémon Contests outside?" I asked.

She looked at the stream of water that came through the roof. "If you asked me two days ago, I would have said yes."

"The current plans for the area include redoing the park outside. We'll restore the old parade ground, and have a shallow lake around the castle."

Everyone asked "What castle?"

"Marsh Castle," I replied. "It stood on that hill where the swing sets are. It was called Marsh Castle, because it was built in a marsh. The water and muddy soil made Ground, Rock and Fire Pokémon useless in a battle, and the water was too shallow to give Water Pokémon an advantage.

"Any way, the castle will be rebuilt. The parkland will be landscaped with views of the castle in mind. There should be enough space for Cherry Blossom festivals and maybe a Pokémon Contest and outdoor concerts."

"Are you going to terrace the grounds or have bleachers? People will want to see," pointed out Zoey. "For concerts and contests we'll need lighting, sound equipment, crowd control and restrooms."

"I better let Grandma's architect think about that," I replied. "Crowd control could be partially accomplished by rebuilding the walls around the keep," I pondered. "The gym stands on the location of the Queen's keep. Master Kiyo dojo stands on the location of the General's Keep. Castles are good at what they do, but they are lousy places to live."

"Why are you doing all this?" asked Jean.

"Grandma wanted to do this for years and Saffron City doesn't have a great tourist landmark. When I destroyed the mansion as a child, Grandma kept the land but didn't rebuild the mansion because she wanted to rebuild the castle. Now that I've all but destroyed the gym there is no physical thing in the way of construction."

I forwarded the audio clip of our conversation to grandma.

"Hello?" called out a strange voice.

"We're this way," I called back.

"I'm from Saffron Utilities we're here to shut off the gas, electricity and water," explained the man when he found us.

"Thank you," I replied.

"One question: which company will be demolishing the building?"

"I will," I replied.

"Your company's name?"

"No. I, Sabrina the gym leader, will personally destroy this building, once it is safe for me to do so."

The city employee looked skeptical, but all of my staff made a very emphatic nod in agreement with me.

He shrugged and wandered off to do his job.

"So why do you want to destroy the building?" asked Zoey.

"To save money and I could use the exercise," I shrugged.

"She just wants to show off," dismissed Yuki.

Inspired, I texted grandmother Lilith, "I'll destroy the gym myself, should I invite guests?"

"No," replied grandma, "Don't scare people."

I sighed then turned to watch the rain fall on the gym floor.

"Haunter?"

"I suppose that I am sorry to see the old building go," I replied.

"But there are also things that should buried," hinted Jean.

I sighed and nodded.

"She's getting gloomy," warned Yuki.

"We could go out for ice cream," suggested Ivan.

The rest of us turned and glared at the lone man in our group.

"What?" he asked.

In his mind I could only see the after image of an ice cream parlor with an amusement arcade.

"Where were you thinking of going for ice cream?" I asked.

"There's an ice cream parlor at the end of the central line. They have six bowling lanes, video games and karaoke," he explained. "Why is everyone looking at me?"

"They probably thought that it was weird to eat ice cream on a rainy day," I explained.

"Can the Pokémon play too?" asked Zoey.

"Yes."

"Let's go!" cheered Jean.

I followed the others to the subway station and onto the train, but my mind was going over the last twenty years at the gym. There were good times, but those good times seem to be under a dark cloud. The darkness was me. Obsession, distrust, anger: that part of me I should bury in the rubble of the gym. I looked at the others as they discussed what the students did the day before and I realized that the best times at the gym were not about the gym, but about the people; these people.

"Snover's Palace," announced Zoey as she spotted the building from the train.

"They have these in Sinnoh?" asked Jean.

"No, I'd just figured that this place would have ice cream," teased Zoey.

"Do you think we're overdressed for ice cream?" I asked.

"Milady?" asked Ivan.

"Should we let him in on the joke?" I asked the women.

"No," they responded.

"Sorry Ivan," I shrugged.

"Yes Milady."

As promised, Snover's Palace had ice cream, games and bowling. I used my turn on the bowling lane to teach Poliwag and Spoink about Psychic, while I practiced Aura Sphere. Spoink knocked himself out when he put a heavy bowling ball on his head.

"Poli?"

"He'll be fine, little one." I placed my hand on her head. "Now concentrate on the pink ball. Imagine that it floats off the rack. There, good. Now place it in front of you."

"Poli wag."

"…and not on your head, yes," I giggled. "Now you need to imagine the ball rolling towards the pins. Faster, faster, yes that's the way, keep going."

The pink bowling ball crashed into the pins but left two standing.

"Seven-ten split: that will be tough to pickup," commented a bowler in the next lane.

"How do you 'pick up' a split?" I asked then regretted walking into the man's pickup line.

His mind did flash over a strategy of hitting a pin and bouncing it into the other.

"Pol?"

"Let me try this one sweetie," I replied as I took the heaviest ball from the rack. I was kneeling next to Poliwag as I encased the bowling ball in an Aura Sphere. I launched the ball directly at the pin and hit the point imagined by the bowler next to me. "So that's how you pick up a spare," I commented.

"What did you do?"

"Is there some rule that says that the ball has to roll?"

"Um, uh."

I put my hand on Poliwag's head and said, "Do you see that?"

"?"

"Right there the ball needs to curve a little so it will knock down the pins," I explained to Poliwag and I tried to coax her Hypnosis.

"Poliwag!" cheered the little Pokémon as she saw the idea.

We ignored the bowlers around us as we practiced Psychic and Aura Sphere.

"Would you like something to drink Milady?" asked Ivan.

"Poliwag would like an Oran berry and seaweed smoothie. I'd like an Oran berry, high protein smoothie. Ivan, order something for you and relax," I replied.

"Yes, Mi…"

"Ivan, you are a friend that invited us to go out for ice cream. You can call me Sabrina," I replied with a smile.

"Yes, Gr…Sabrina."

Ivan left.

When it was Poliwag's turn, I said to her, "You try this one on your own." Into Ivan's mind I said, "Get a beer and relax."

I returned my thoughts to Poliwag and saw that she knocked down five pins.

"Very good Sweetie."

"Spoink?"

"Are you feeling better?"

"Spoink."

"Good, then you can take a turn. Remember to stay focused and only your pearl belongs on your head."

After Ivan brought our drinks, Zoey found us and asked, "Are you working?"

"I don't consider this work."

"Okay. How about: do you ever relax?"

"'Relaxation is one of many mental states that need to be practiced if one is to develop as a psychic'," I quoted.

"Who said that?"

"Me."

"I don't believe it."

"The ghosts have turned the jungle gym into a house of horrors, nobody wants to bowl because I can launch a sixteen pound bowling ball like a cannon, Spoink has twice tried to use his pearl as a bowling ball and your fly is down," I listed. "Despite this I am relaxed."

Zoey blushed, looked around then zipped up her pants.

"I am relaxed because my ghosts are more funny than scary, and the disembodied hand trick does get old after a while. Now the older kids are daring each other to go into the 'house of horrors' and the little kids can play the other games. Spoink is doing better at recognizing his pearl and Poliwag has almost learned Psychic."

"What about your target practice?" asked Zoey.

I launched six bowling balls, one for each lane. After the sixtieth pin stopped spinning, I said, "It's a good workout."

"When are those t-shirts coming in?" asked Zoey.

"They were going to be delivered to the gym," I recalled. "I better change the shipping address to my apartment." I got off the floor and let the little ones practice. "I didn't think that you were a beer drinker."

"They had Snowpoint Ice Brewed on tap, how could I refuse?"

"There you are!" exclaimed Yuki. She was carrying a stuffed Poliwag that was the size of a Snorlax. "Look what I won."

"Won?" asked Zoey.

"Yuki is incredibly honest about things other than her identity, plus she hasn't practiced telekinesis enough to cheat," I commented then caught Spoink's pearl before it landed in the gutter. The little ones gave up on bowling practice and danced about Yuki's toy. After their second lap, the stuffed Poliwag got up and danced too. "Have you had enough of the jungle gym, Gengar?"

"Geng," replied my ghost then he tried to impersonate a Bubblebeam by using small Shadow Balls.

"Gently now, I this is a bowling alley not the gym."

"Gengar?"

I telekinetically launched a ball at the pins.

Gengar possessed a ball and rolled himself down the lane. He left the ball before it hit the pins.

"He gets dizzy," I pointed out for Zoey's sake.

He possessed a bowling pin and wiggled his 'rear' at us. Poliwag and Spoink resumed their training, and I kept their power in check until they were too tired to go on then returned them to their Pokeballs. "Good job Gengar."

Gengar returned to my side. "You'll make a fine father," I said as I patted him on the head.

He fainted.

Yuki and Zoey giggled.

A scan of the other Pokémon showed that they were getting bored with this place and restless. "Time to go," I mentioned as I called for a cab.

I had all humans and Pokémon rounded up and in the cab in ten minutes. When Alakazam got in his Pokeball, I could feel his own sexual frustration.

We dropped Ivan off at his apartment first, later I helped the rest into my apartment.

"I thought that we were supposed to stay away," muttered Yuki.

"The mothers to be are downstairs, and I've booked a room for Alakazam and Golduck."

"Rhymes with…," giggled Jean.

"I hope you have a hangover tomorrow," I teased as I made her comfortable on the bed.

I returned to the living room where Zoey was watching television. "Oh good, this thing does get programs other than porn," mocked Zoey.

"Really?" I asked. Zoey gave me a double-take. I winked at her. "I'm going back to the gym to burn off some excess energy."

"Now?"

I held up my pack and said, "I've got a lot of Pokémon with Pokérus in this bag. Snover's Palace was a nice distraction but not enough to make these guys tired."

"I'm glad you have a comfy couch," commented Zoey as she curled up with a blanket.

"There's room in the bed, if you want," I offered.

"And sleep with those drunks?" she teased.

I waved and went to the warptile. At the other end I called grandma, "Do you have some preliminary plans on what can be excavated?"

"What?"

"We, I, really need to burn off some energy," I explained.

"Flying isn't enough?"

"Drowzee and Mr. Mine don't fly and it doesn't affect the ghosts."

"Good point. I'll be there in less than an hour, try not to get too destructive."

"Yes ma'am."

When grandma did arrive all the Pokémon and I were in meditation. We each had a sphere of calm around us that we pushed against each other's sphere.

"Sabrina, this is the architect Ms. Stone and the engineer in charge Mr. Handle," introduced my grandmother.

I stood and shook their hands.

"You understand that these are just preliminary plans?" asked Ms. Stone.

"Normally we wouldn't start until at least the foundation plans are completed," insisted Mr. Handle. "Why the rush?"

Without the meditation, my power started to leak out. I directed it towards the building, the concrete moaned and popped.

"Because that building is about to fall down," I explained.

"What?"

To my Pokémon I ordered, "Contain the dust and debris."

"It shouldn't be that unstable," argued Mr. Handle.

The gym was really easy to destroy: I just sent my mind to find the beams that carried the most stress, and broke them. Gravity did the rest.

A light drizzle helped to keep the dust down.

"What shall we do with the debris?" I asked a stunned Mr. Handle.

The engineer started to do mental calculations on the number of dump trucks and man-hours.

"I meant 'we' as in my Pokémon and I."

"You're going to move all this debris?" asked Ms. Stone.

"We'll try, we just need a location."

"There is a place on the east side that can take this and remove the steel," offered Mr. Handle.

"Good. Please make arrangements for them to receive this, and could I have their location?"

"Now?"

"Now, please."

After some frantic phone calls, Mr. Handle secured the location and I had Natu teleport into the area. In my mind I saw the patch of sky with a low cloud that Natu saw. I opened a teleport path from the bottom of that cloud, to where I remembered the basement of the gym to be. My mind felt like it was hit by every piece of debris. My spirit felt like it was going to be sucked from me and cast down into the wormhole.

My Pokémon instinctively added their strength to mine.

In the end, we gave out before the pile was gone.

"I think that is enough for tonight," concluded Grandmother Lilith. "Mr. Handle, I'll leave you to finish the removal as you see fit. I believe that Ms. Stone and I can agree on enough to get you started in the next day or two. Yes?"

"Uh, yes," stammered Ms. Stone.

My Poketch buzzed: "The warptile network went crazy. What's going on?" demanded my father.

"I tried to teleport the gym," I muttered.

"All of it?"

"Most of it…"

I passed out.

When I regained awareness, my Pokémon, grandma and her guests had left. Watching over me was a man in a shabby coat and tattered hat.

"Hi," I greeted weakly.

"I told Lady Lilith that I would watch over you," he replied directly to my mind.

"Thanks." I lifted my head and looked around. There was some candlelight and I was in a simple room. I propped myself up on my elbows and felt a futon underneath me. "Where am I?"

"This is a simple sleeping room behind my workshop."

"So if we're in your place, why do you keep the image?"

"Because this is a human's environment; so to better understand it, I attempt to 'look the part'."

"Psychic, gardener and now method actor; you have an amazing resume."

After an awkward pause, he asked, "Was that a joke?"

"It was a lighthearted complement of your abilities."

"Lighthearted: So you didn't want to complement me?"

"I was complementing you, but the resume concept then tries to bring to mind an image of you applying for a job as you present a resume that summarizes all of your talents and reveals your true identity."

"But I never reveal my identity to others; just to you and your friends."

"Why?"

"Because I can trust you to protect our kind."

I smiled. "How do you think a client would react if they knew your true identity and history?"

"They would flee in terror."

"And that's not funny?"

"No, it isn't," he replied.

I sighed.

"Do you have anything to eat?" I asked. Under the lone candle was a small refrigerator and next to that was a stack of canned goods and bowls of instant soup. "I'd hate to eat you out of house and home," was what I wanted to say, but instead I said, "That won't be enough."

"What happened to you?"

"I've been infected with Pokérus."

Mewtwo nodded as he remembered his own experience. "There is more at work than Pokérus," he speculated. He took a bottle of sports drink and an oran berry from the refrigerator and offered them to me.

I took them and said, "Thank you. When we last talked, I was trying to free a Lucario and Froslass that were trapped in ice. They were freed, but later Froslass tried to carry out an assassination plot against me and my clan."

"You physically battled her in the ghost dimension," surmised Mewtwo as he looked at my hands.

"While I was training to control the ghost energy, I had a teleport accident. When I returned a day had passed here but I had no memory of where I was, when or how long I was there."

"So the signal from the tower was for you?"

"Yes, as was the signal that my father broadcasted in Sinnoh."

"That could have been dangerous; just as the debris removal that you performed this evening. It attracts undo attention."

"Whose attention?" I asked after I finished the oran berry.

"The guardian Pokémon."

I recalled the name, "Giratina?"

"Yes and the other two: Palkia and Dialga. They live in nearby dimensions and massive displays of teleportation can be perceived as intrusions into their territory."

"Does the warptile network and Pokeball transfer network disturb them?"

"Those tunnels open briefly."

I drank the sports drink and could feel the oran berry working.

"When were you infected with Pokérus?" I asked.

"When I was young. The power was too much to control and I…"

"I'm sorry that I made you remember that," I apologized.

"I saw that you destroyed your gym. Was anyone injured?"

"No; my Pokémon and I just had too much fun," I explained.

"Fun?"

"Yes we had fun. You don't have fun do you?"

"I find my work with bonsai has been rewarding in that I feel a sense of accomplishment and some admiration for the work of others."

"That is not 'fun'."

"What is?"

"…" I looked Mewtwo. His human disguise was wavering. "Okay, since fun is a matter of perspective then bonsai could qualify as fun."

I mentally recalled images of the training session with my Pokémon and the results.

"That looks like war," observed Mewtwo.

"There were only minor injuries."

"Is fun important?"

"Fun is the traditional motivator of play which is a vehicle for physical, social and intellectual development."

Mewtwo's mind showed me an image of Mew playing on a mountain of toys and observed, "For a Pokémon older than I, Mew doesn't seem 'developed'."

"Mew helped you to develop," I replied with a grin.

"Perhaps a little," he admitted.

"What is it going to take to develop you further," I pondered.

"I was developed for conquest," he scowled.

"World domination is the dream of an undeveloped mind."

"So why are you rebuilding the castle and keep?"

"Regional domination isn't the same thing."

"Joke?"

"Yes," I sighed.

"… Are you trying to dominate the region?"

"Militarily: no. But from a business and political stand point: yes. It is similar to your bonsai, in that the physical structures that we are building will be both visually appealing and will provide a framework for that area of Saffron City to develop economically and culturally." I gave him a mental image of shops, parks and museums. "It will be a symbol for the people of the city, and for the people that need to know it will be a symbol of my family's wealth and influence."

"A statement of power to act as a deterrent," concluded the psychic.

"Yes."

"Does it also act as a challenge to others?"

"Of course, but that means that we have to rise to the challenge and become better than we are."

"This is fun?"

"Grandmother Lilith thinks so."

"Yes she does," mused Mewtwo.

My exhaustion had passed, so I got off the futon and looked into the next room that was Mewtwo's workshop. There I found many potted plants at various stages of development. I pulled back the curtain and saw more bonsai outside in a fenced yard. I went out the door and saw a glow in the distance that I assumed was Saffron City.

Mewtwo nodded.

"It's rather lonely here," I remarked.

"I can easily reach the city."

The city… I looked back at the glowing clouds that reflected the lights of my city.

"How is your view of Saffron City as 'my city' different than that of an 'undeveloped mind' set on world domination," asked Mewtwo innocently.

"World domination assumes a suppression of reality. If I controlled all money, then there would be an economic collapse and thus money would have no value. Power and influence are earned, not seized. I view Saffron City as my home, family and legacy not my wallet to be opened every time I want something. I take pride in its prosperity just like you take pride in your business."

"Yet you exploit the pleasure of others in your tower."

"Exploit implies that I compel others to take something of lesser value in exchange for a product or service that they can't get elsewhere. Based upon the market before the tower was built, I provide a superior product for less."

"But you take more than money for these services."

"Nothing is taken; rather I reap a personal benefit beyond that of monetary value. Do you make bonsai purely for money?"

"No." There was a strange pause then Mewtwo stated, "I am trying to juxtapose the training of bonsai and the fornication of your clients."

I smiled.

"What?" asked Mewtwo.

"That was a joke."

"It was?"

I made a mental image of a pair of lovers being 'helped' with stiff wire to hold them in various sexual positions as Mewtwo and I adjusted them.

"Is not forcing people to have sex a crime?"

I reply, "The comedy is that people shouldn't need wires and that using them would be silly, intrusive and an emotional inhibitor of the sex."

"…I thought that the juxtaposition implied that I was sexually penetrating the plants."

I looked at Mewtwo. His mind was closed to me, but his eyes darted toward a specific potted plant. I moved in for a closer inspection of the plant in the faint light. The bonsai was a collection of many smooth-barked trunks twisted together. One particular twisting provided a rather convenient gap for Mewtwo to 'penetrate'. As I turned the pot I noticed other gaps of various sizes and shapes and my hand brushed past the soft, scruffy foliage on top of the plant.

I projected a mental image of Mewtwo penetrating this plant. He grinned.

I laughed, "That was a good joke."

"Thank you."

"Unless it's true."

"Unless…?"

I sniffed but could only find the smell of earth and plants.

Mewtwo grinned again.

"You are getting good at this," I stated.

"So are you, so I've heard."

"Now this is funny: we are lecturing each other about comedy."

"Why is a discussion of comedy itself a comedy?"

"Because there was a time when neither of us would laugh and such experience could indicate that neither of us is qualified to teach about the nature of funny."

"Do not philosophers and hermits attempt to divine the nature of the universe even though there is no being that can explain it to them…what are you doing?"

"I am attempting to tickle you," I explained as I explored under his coat.

"Why?"

"To see if it possible," after a minute of exploring I managed to make Mewtwo twitch. "Ah ha!" I exclaimed as I exploited his reaction.

"It is merely an involuntary reaction," he claimed.

"Of course, so is laughter and thus comedy." I pulled off his coat so I could get better access.

"I don't like to be controlled."

"You could stop me…" I offered.

He didn't, instead he reached out to tickle me on my arms. Since that didn't cause a reaction he reached for my stomach and I flinched. He resumed and I squirmed to stay out of his reach yet still attempt to exploit his 'involuntary reaction'.

Mewtwo brought his tail to assist in finding my weak spots, but his attempts were more of a scan on my surface and not play. "My reaction time isn't fast enough to register that as a tickle," I thought. Mewtwo slowed as I tried to speed up my assault and get him to laugh. I tried hard to stifle my laughter, which came out as a snort.

Mewtwo stopped his scan. "These are not my ticklish spots," I stated. He had his thick tail between my legs. I could feel the tiny vibrations as his fur rubbed along my inseam. His bulbous fingers were feeling my breasts through the fluffy fabric of my pullover.

"But this action is inducing an involuntary reaction," observed Mewtwo.

"But this isn't tickling."

"Your reaction is similar to the one you are trying to induce in me."

My hands were where his breasts would be, if he had them.

"I noticed that you stopped," he observed. He pushed upward with his tail as he rubbed.

"I may not be a mistress of comedy," I purred, "but this is something I have practiced."

I returned to his chest, but this time I massaged and explored his skin for any sign of nipples. I kicked off my shoes and stroked my feet up and down Mewtwo's furry legs.

Perhaps it was lack of sleep, food or the Pokérus, but I was hot and delirious. I peeled off my sweater to deal with the heat, but Mewtwo then worked my nipples more and I got hotter again.

[Error in recording: out of range. Time=01:09:47]

[Incoming voice mail from Yuki Cellars: "Hi, it's me. I got your note and you're probably still training. Maybe we should go out for a proper lunch instead of Pokechow."]

"Where did I drop…"

[Error in recording: out of range. Time=06:26:37]

"There you are," I thought as I reached down and picked up my Poketch. As I stood up, I regretted it: my vision blurred and my legs were wobbly. I tried to focus on the horizon where Saffron City was waking up to the grey light before dawn. What I saw instead were orchards, vineyards, tea plantings and a few farm houses.

Mewtwo put his tattered coat over my shoulders.

"You have an interesting appetite," he commented.

"Sorry, I forgot how hard it is to get soft noodles out of hair."

Mewtwo absentmindedly scratched at his groin as he said, "I'm sorry that I didn't have enough food."

"You weren't expecting guests," I replied as I moved behind Mewtwo. I put my arms around him and looked at the scenery as I rested my chin on his shoulder. "The view here is wonderful."

"I find it peaceful and inspiring."

"Hmm?" I purred as I pressed my naked body against his back.

"I watch humans and Pokémon work together on the farms. Each has a vital role."

"Humans and Pokémon together…" My stomach growled. "Let's go get something to eat."

"There is a small store nearby," offered Mewtwo.

"Can we go like this?"

"I would advise against it."

"I know a nice place. Do you feel like teleporting?"

"I don't teleport," he replied flatly. "Teleportation can be tracked and my biosignature would be recognized."

"That would make riding the Pokeball transfer network out the question," I sighed.

"I will not go into a Pokeball."

I held him closer and teased his chest. "How fast could we fly?"

"We?"

I levitated into the air.

"If you are so hungry how far can you fly?"

A flash of dizziness hit. When my eyes could focus, Mewtwo was holding me.

"Just fly, please."

I pressed myself against his chest as we flew. "Where are we going?"

"Southeast to Reef Island, but go in a random direction."

"…"

"I have a bio-scrambler in my Poketch," I offered. "And I won't put you into a Pokeball."

I set my Poketch and watched for an open Pokeball transfer signal.

I let two Pokémon Centers pass until we found one that had only Nurse Joy present, and she was still asleep. Mewtwo seemed uncomfortable as I scanned the nurse's mind. We telekinetically let ourselves in to the Pokémon Center and found the Pokeball Transfer Machine. Before Chansey could spot us, we teleported into network.

"I have never been here before," remarked Mewtwo as we raced through the technologically surreal landscape of the network.

"We can come back and visit after breakfast," I teased.

"How long does this route take?"

"It's based upon on how many nodes we have to use. Hold tight, here's the main trunk." In a flash we switched to the Kanto/Johto transfer trunk. "We'll follow those red and blue lights to the…" another flash, "Hoenn trunk line now we need the Mossdeep to Maroon line and…"

We were in a lab rather than a Pokémon Center. "I do not like laboratories," commented Mewtwo.

An alarm went off.

"I think you hurt its feelings," I teased as I held his hand and tried to project calm.

An officer Jenny burst into the room and shouted, "Stop right there!"

She looked like she just got out of bed, and that she sleeps and tans in the nude.

"Miss Sabrina?" she asked over the sirens.

I put my fingers in my ears and mentally suggested that she turn off the alarm, which she did.

"I was aiming for the Reef Island Pokémon transfer machine," I explained, "But I missed and got this one instead."

"The one on the main island is down for repairs," replied Jenny. "Who's your friend?"

"I came here for some breakfast on the beach, so I'll just leave and let you get back to bed. _This will just be a weird dream_." I replied directly into her mind.

Jenny's eyes got heavy as she staggered off to bed. Mewtwo and I left the laboratory as I booked breakfast for two with a view of the beach.

"Why was it worth the effort to eat breakfast here?" asked Mewtwo as we flew along the waves. I sensed that he had cloaked us.

I pointed the way to the reserved spot. There we found a canopy bed that overlooked waves crashing onto the rocks. This was the short piece of the island that wasn't protected by the reef. The rock outcroppings were rough and gave the waves a black background on which to dance, splash and spout.

I took off the coat I was wearing, and draped it over a chair. "This is one of the few places where we can have breakfast like this," I explained.

I uncovered our breakfast and found that the chefs here knew their food. I took a slightly crisp spear of asparagus, dipped the tip into a white wine sauce and licked it as Mewtwo watched.

Unfortunately the only positive reaction I got was from the spouting rocks. Mewtwo was defensive. "There are humans nearby," he warned.

I swallowed the asparagus and started on a riceball. "I know," I replied as I made myself comfortable on the bed. "There are a few Pokémon nearby as well." I patted a space next to me on the bed. Mewtwo sat. "Shall we go spy on the neighbors," I offered as I held out my hand.

He took my hand and we slipped out of our bodies and let our astral forms float over the trees. Less than three hundred meters away we found a similar bed overlooking its own set of rocks. On this bed were a woman and an Ampharos. They were laying on their stomachs and watching the waves.

"They are eating breakfast," noted Mewtwo.

I mentally focused on the sight of Ampharos' tail stroking the legs of the thin, brown-haired woman. "I don't need telepathy to know that they spent the night as we did." Ampharos was drifting onto the woman's back. "Do you want to watch?" I teased.

"But he is…"

"I didn't know that Jasmine liked it in the butt," I joked.

"…"

"Don't block it out," I replied.

"There are others. Over there is a Heracross. There is a Kirlia…"

I pulled us back to our bodies. I shifted onto the bed as Jasmine had done. Once I was propped up on the pillows, I stroked Mewtwo with my foot. His mind was elsewhere on the island and perhaps at Prof. Orchid's lab.

"This…"

"This island is far enough away from Kanto and the Pokémon League that no one minds if a human and a Pokémon enjoy each other…sexually. Human lovers come here too." I turned over so I could look at Mewtwo and he could see all of me. I psychically peeled a banana as I watched him. I 'dropped' the banana and caught it between my breasts. Mewtwo didn't care. "I see that you are not open to suggestive imagery."

"Pardon?"

"No, this is paizuri," I teased. I patted the bed on either side of me. As I psychically guided him into position on top of me, I explained, "If a woman is naked and performs an unusual act with an object that resembles your penis, (that's the thing between your legs that isn't your tail) then that woman is suggesting that she is willing to perform that act on you. Understand?"

The organ in question started to emerge, but Mewtwo asked, "Why?"

My body felt hot and the primal part of my mind was pounding on the gates of my sanity.

"Mewtwo, I will probably regret everything I have done today but if I don't I will regret that too." I reached out and put my hand on his cheek. "Don't you see how much alike we are? Can't you sense how much my body wants satisfaction? You are the only one that I dare do this with, because humans wouldn't survive and most Pokémon wouldn't understand."

"But your friends…"

"I've already violated the trust that Yuki placed in me, and I hope she can forgive me. But she can't do this. She isn't you: She isn't a male and she doesn't have the stamina. Please, just once I want to be satisfied."

"So you just wish to use me?"

I was stunned. My eyes misted over. "Haven't you felt anything? Was this morning just an unpleasant involuntary reaction?"

"It was physically pleasing," muttered Mewtwo.

"I can't take this anymore," I replied as I pushed him off of me. As I climbed off the bed I stepped on the fallen banana. Before he could ask about the meaning of that action, I said, "I'm sorry for taking up your time and food. I will forward you money as compensation. Goodbye."

I teleported back to the Pokeball transfer machine in Prof. Orchid's lab. I borrowed someone's lab coat and entered the Pokeball transfer network. I had set the exit for some location in Sinnoh, which should be far enough.

When I emerged from the Pokeball transfer machine, someone screamed. I pulled the lab coat closed and tried to look somewhat dignified.

"That's impossible!" exclaimed a trainer who wasn't more than sixteen.

"Obviously it is possible," I argued. There were some reading glasses in the coat pocket, so I put them on and peered over them. This action triggered a dozen different fantasies in the boy's mind.

"Who are you?"

I psychically directed my breath onto his glasses and fogged them up.

"I'm Professor Glass," I declared, "and I don't have time to sit around here and discuss the impossible."

I stomped out of the Pokémon Center and ran to the woods.

"Wait!" pleaded the boy.

I took to the skies and placed a call to Ivan.

"Yes Milady?" he yawned.

"Did you get that information I wanted about Paul?"

"No Milady. Bebe in Hearthome City runs the storage system and she blocked any attempts I made to get the information."

I queried, "Hearthome City" and got a signal from its Pokémon Center.

"Thank you Ivan; I'll take care of it." I hung up before he could ask any questions.

Hearthome was miles away and I didn't feel like flying. I let my mind open to the distant Pokémon Center. I found an empty room then brought my body along. The floor was a cold tile and I still wasn't wearing shoes, I wasn't even wearing clothes, except for the lab coat.

I was in a storeroom. There were canned goods, medical supplies and a lost and found box, which held mostly lost coats all of which were too small. It was almost eight in the morning, so I ran a search for a department store. There were several, including a branch of grandmother's Yoshida's, but they don't open till nine.

I found a lost belt and used it to hold the coat closed. I sensed no minds nearby, so I left the storeroom and headed outside. While my Poketch tracked down Bebe's location, I projected a strong 'geeky doctor in lab coat,' suggestion to any mind that noticed me. Hearthome was a big city and I soon realized that I can't walk across it without shoes, so I ducked into an alley. I was about to fly to the rooftops, when a vending machine caught my eye. "Condoms, condoms, kinky underwear, edible underwear and disposable underwear," I mused. Behind me was a gaudy entrance to a love hotel. I set my Poketch for cash card mode and selected disposable panties. I flew to the rooftop with my purchase before I put it on.

I flew from roof top to roof top as I searched the internet for 'unusual vending machines of Hearthome', I didn't find anything useful, other than the one I just used.

Bebe's home was easy enough to locate: because there was only one active line of the Pokeball Transfer Network from the Pokémon Center which led a simple house. Inside the house was the main hub of Sinnoh and Bebe, who was asleep next to a pile of computer parts and books. Her Glameow hissed and growled enough to wake her. "Who are you?" she stammered.

"Are you Bebe?" I demanded.

"Yes..."

"I need your assistance in tracking a Kirlia that may have been a witness in a crime."

"Crime?"

"That's right. We have recently uncovered circumstantial evidence of Pokémon abuse and sodomy . These are serious charges that need to be investigated. Can I count on your support?"

"Glameow hush. Yes ma'am."

"Good. I need to know about the trainer Paul from Veilstone City: Did he have a Kirlia, or its evolutions? Does he still have said Pokémon? What is the last known location of said Pokémon?"

Bebe got to work. Glameow took her position between us. In a few minutes Bebe announced, "Paul did have a Kirlia. He retrieved it from storage at the Pokémon Center in Potato Valley."

I searched for Potato Valley Pokémon Center via my Poketch.

"Is there a record of a trade?" I asked.

"These files wouldn't show that," explained Bebe.

"But your records would show a stored Pokémon with an original trainer of Paul and his trainer number," I corrected.

"Oh, I forgot."

Her Pokémon meowed and rolled its eyes.

"No record of a Kirla, or its evolution, with Paul's trainer number after it was retrieved in Potato Valley. If it's in that region then it should stand out."

"Thank you for your assistance. I could ask you for one more favor: do you have a spare Pokeball?"

Bebe rustled through her books and found a dusty ball. She opened it and found it to be empty, so she handed it to me and said, "Here you go."

"Thank you."

"So how is Paul involved in all of this?"

"It's best that you don't know," I replied as I left the room. I closed the door behind me then teleported into the transfer network. Three junctions later, I emerged in what I hoped was Potato Valley.

"Excuse me?" asked a Nurse Joy.

"Is this Potato Valley?"

"Well, yes."

"Thank you." I marched out of the Pokémon Center, took three steps and marched back into the Pokémon Center. "Where can I get some warm clothes?" I shivered. There were too many young and curious eyes watching, so I asked, "Can we talk privately?"

Nurse Joy led me to her office. "I've been tracking down a Kirlia but I didn't realize how far north it had gotten."

"Didn't you come out of the Pokeball transfer machine?"

I held out the empty Pokeball and bluffed, "That's an easy trick if you know how."

"Oh," was all Nurse Joy said as she convinced herself to believe my lie. "What is so important about this Kirlia?"

"I believe that it was the victim of abuse, sodomy and abandonment."

"Oh my! I should call Officer Jenny."

"That won't do any good if we can't find the Pokémon. I believe that I can find the Kirlia, but a lab coat isn't enough to deal with snow."

"I have a ski suit you could borrow," offered the Nurse.

"Thank you."

Twenty minutes after we raided Nurse Joy's wardrobe, I had on more clothes then my last fetish video.

"Good luck."

"Thank you," I replied as I marched out a second time. I mentally set my Poketch for a Pokémon search targeting Kirlia. I moved the ski goggles into place and took to the skies, which wasn't as dramatic as I hoped since a wind gust sent me tumbling. I decided to fly with the wind as I made my search.

After twenty minutes and no sign of Kirlia, I got frustrated. "That's the Pokérus making you impatient," I said to myself. "Don't become like Paul; at least not permanently."

I sent a mental image of Paul to any mind that would receive it. None of the minds around me reacted. I raced over the treetops and made a large spiral around the Pokémon Center. Finally I found some Swinub that reacted to Paul's image, and it wasn't a warm reaction. The little brown Pokémon were scrambling to find shelter. As I got closer I could feel their pain and saw in their minds a battle with Paul in a green meadow. That was probably this meadow without the snow. I marked this location with my map feature and began a new spiral.

"Noctowl?" replied a mind as I made another broadcast.

I moved in closer as I explained, "I'm looking for a Pokémon that may be abandoned by that trainer."

"?"

I gave it a mental image of a Kirlia.

Noctowl recalled that it battled, and won, against a Kirlia that was with Paul.

"Do you remember where they went, and can you give me directions?"

Noctowl indicated that Paul went towards a certain mountain that I couldn't see for the low clouds. I check my map feature and looked at the mountains that it indicated. Fortunately Noctowl could count, so I counted over three mountains and marked that as another waypoint.

"?"

"I think that Paul abandoned that Kirlia for reasons beyond losing to you."

There was a trail on my map that followed the general direction given my Noctowl, so I zigzagged across it as I searched. I sent now two images: Paul and a Kirlia. It received two unpleasant reactions from a group of hibernating Golbats: they were defeated by Paul, but later took their revenge on a lone Kirlia.

I landed so I could use my whole strength into broadcasting and sensing.

The Golbats shivered in their nightmares. A pair of Snover relived their burns at the hands of a Magmortar. To my left I felt betrayal. I levitated again and broadcasted, "Kirlia!"

There was a faint thought,"?"

I flew as fast as I could against the icy wind.

"I'm a friend," I tried to reassure the Kirlia.

Kirlia's mind flashed betrayal.

I plunged into the snow and found a little cave lined with branches.

"Then how about revenge and justice?" I asked.

"?"

"I want you to be whole again. I want you to be strong so you never will never again need fear anyone."

"Why?" was its mental response.

"Because I don't want Paul to win," I replied. "Because I swore to protect psychics like us."

"Us?"

I recalled flying, teleporting and using Aura Sphere.

"I'm not worthy," replied the Pokémon.

"You are a psychic Pokémon therefore you are very worthy."

"I'm a failure."

"No," I corrected, "Paul failed you. I have made some mistakes these last few days, but I will do my best not to fail you. Even if you don't want to be my Pokémon, I will capture you so you can be treated. You've been eating bark."

"Yes."

I held out the Pokeball. "You can't stop me in your condition, but I would prefer if it was your choice. Don't let things end like this, please. I couldn't face my own Gardevoir if I knew that I let you kept hurting yourself."

Kirlia reached out to the Pokeball and was 'captured'. Now I needed to get back to civilization. My Poketch gave me an out of range message. My map feature still worked, so I levitated out of the snow cave and flew towards the Pokémon Center. After flying for ten minutes, I tried to check the map, but visibility was so bad that I could see the Poketch if I pressed it against the ski goggles. I risked encasing myself in a bubble of psychic energy so I could read the map. I was on course, so I channeled the bubble's energy back into propulsion before I hit the ground. It didn't work. I curled myself into a ball, tried to avoid the trees and braced for impact.

"No!" shouted Kirlia's thoughts, "Trees are safety. Open space hides the warmth stealing sickness!"

"Hypothermia," I concluded as I steered back towards the little trees. Well the trees with the little branches. Okay I didn't hit the trunk at full speed. So now I was in a tree, which dumped its snow on me; visibility was to the next tree, due to a blizzard. … And my Poketch isn't responding to my commands, I think it's still recording but I won't know until I get home.

"Are you hurt?" asked Kirlia from the safety of the Pokeball.

"Bruises and scratches I believe."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry. It was my choice to fly instead of using a snowmobile. You are the one that warned me about the frozen lake; if you didn't I wouldn't last very long out here. Thank you."

"…"

"Traditionally you would say, 'you're welcome'."

"You are welcome," repeated Kirlia as he examined the words.

"You have made progress already," I thought warmly.

"I have?"

"Yes. Now I need to make some progress in finding a way out of here." I tried to open my mind to other thoughts, but was flooded by Kirlia's self doubt, pain and hunger. "First things first: I need to get out of this tree and make some shelter." I used my telekinesis to ease me down the tree then to carve out a snow cave like Kirlia's.

I searched through the pockets of Nurse Joy's snow suit and found condoms, lube and two tubes of protein gel. I kept the gel and put the other things back in the pockets. "Kirlia, I'm letting you out the Pokeball so I can try to treat your injuries," I announced. He was fearful, but didn't object. I took the cap off the protein gel and said, "Let's put something in that stomach."

I took a small sip of the gel to show it was safe, and handed him the rest. I sat Kirlia down on my lap, which stirred up dark memories, I tried to suppress those memories by projecting my memories of Poliwag and Espeon, before she evolved, sitting on my lap.

"I will do what I can to erase all the pain that you have felt."

"I tried to do the same," replied Kirlia with a tear. "But I failed."

"The failure was his. He doesn't want to forget the pain. He enjoys the pain and enjoys inflicting pain. He is not like us. We are psychics, pain is to be avoided and suppressed because it interferes with the mind. You need to learn to suppress the pain so we can find a way out of here."

"?"

"The pain in your tummy and the pain in your feet are making it hard for me to use my abilities."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry, just get better." I unzipped the snowsuit, which sent a shiver down Kirlia's spine. I gently took Kirlia and put him in the snowsuit with me, then zipped up so only our heads were sticking out. "Are you warm?"

"Yes."

"Does your stomach feel a little better?"

"Yes."

"Good. Now we can work on your feet. You have the synchronize ability, correct?"

"Yes ma'am."

"I want you to concentrate on my hands, they had frostbite too and I got better. I'll try to recall my healing meditation and you synchronize."

"I'll try."

I entered into a light trance, but Kirlia had trouble focusing. "Ignore the sounds of the wind. Nothing outside of this cave can get you. I'll protect you. Relax. Relax. Sense my hands. See in your mind how to fix the damage. It's like evolving; pretend that the healthy parts are your Ralts feet and you are evolving your long Kirlia legs."

It was hard work to block Kirlia's pain receptors while he healed, but also rewarding in that he trusted me a little more.

"Screech!"

I sat bolt up and got a face full of snow.

"Granny Noctowl?" asked Kirlia.

"Why did you do that?" I asked.

Granny Nockowl's mind showed that the blizzard was clearing.

"Will you show us the way back?"

She nodded.

"Time to go back into the ball," I announced as I held the ball before Kirlia. Kirlia let himself into the safety of the Pokeball. I secured the ball in a warm inside pocket then followed Nocktowl out of the snow cave.

"?"

"I wasn't flying in the normal sense. I was moving like a leaf blowing in the wind that I created. Now that the Pokérus has worn off I have to relearn flying on my own."

Noctowl recalled an image of pushing her Hoothoot out of the nest.

The knee deep snow was making walking difficult. "Is there an easier path?"

Granny Noctowl opened her wings and glided to the next tree.

"Answer: yes. All I have to do is Whoop!" Everything was white and cold with a tunnel to the sky. Noctowl floated overhead. Her mind flashed through images of humans walking on long sticks, wide branches or riding on noisy logs.

"Well if snow is just pretty water, I should be able to walk on it," I declared. I telekinically leaped out of the hole and, while projecting shells of psychic energy beneath my feet, fell into a new, yet larger, hole of my own making.

Noctowl gave me the patient look of a parent watching a very clumsy child.

"You live here, how is snow different from water?"

She recalled that a coating of dry snow kept the heat in better than the rain. Snow also left convenient tracks to follow hapless prey or tourists. She also recalled once landing on a branch where the snow was so deep that it came up to her middle.

Water doesn't compress, but an easy punch showed that snow compresses easily. I launched myself again and landed, badly, on the tree next to Noctowl. The tree, like the others that I could see, had short snow covered branches but no vines to swing from or flat spots to land on.

"You're about to push me out of the nest, aren't you?"

Noctowl turned and looked at the incoming, dark, storm clouds.

"Good point. Which way to the Pokémon Center?"

She turned and looked into the light gray distance.

"Try to keep up," I boasted as I pushed myself forward and rocketed towards the Pokémon Center. "Pokérus didn't make me stronger; it just made me feel stronger. It was my power that got me here and it will be my power that gets me home," I told myself.

I rocketed past the trees then over the dark abyss of an unfrozen lake. I pushed against the headwind and aimed for the safety of the trees on the other side. This landing was the least painful tree landing of the day, so I waited for my guide to catch up.

"?" hooted from above.

"How did you get ahead of me?"

Noctowl was perched on a branch above me and stretched her wings.

"That isn't the whole story is it?"

Without moving her wings, she lifted off her perch and floated next to me and onto my branch.

"So you have psychic propulsion as well as wings?"

She hooted a Noctowl equivalent to a harrumph.

"Okay, the Flying Pokémon equivalent to psychic propulsion," I corrected.

She nodded then she imagined an aerial view of Potato Valley and the major air currents.

"Since time is of the essence, can we work together? I'll be the gliding surface and you'll be the propulsion and navigation."

I projected a large psychic imitation of Noctowl around me and pushed off towards the Pokémon Center. Noctowl lectured and corrected me for half an hour on the correct shape of my wings and how to steer with my tail. Correct that, the tail doesn't steer; it stabilizes.

When I just about mastered this new form of flying, the Pokémon Center came into view. "So how do I land?"

Noctowl recalled watching her chicks crashing into the snow, ground, nest and the tree.

"But those were attempts at landings," I argued. "You didn't show them how to crash."

Noctowl envisioned the classic swoop in, curve up and brake while using the wings and the tail.

I duplicated her moves and everything went well until I had too much lift and crashed into the snow from three meters up.

I crawled out of the crater and said, "If you don't have plans, I'd like to invite you to lunch."

Noctowl circled overhead then slowly flew through the sliding door of the Pokémon Center. When I made it inside, Nurse Joy said, "Oh, it's you. When Granny Noctowl showed up I was worried."

"She was giving me flying lessons and showed me back to the Pokémon Center."

"She helps a lot of lost trainers and injured Pokémon find their way here."

"I'm hoping that she'll join me for lunch, after Kirlia gets treatment." I released my newest Pokémon onto a cart provided by Chansey and said, "Nurse Joy is going to treat your injuries, and then we'll have a nice hot meal with Noctowl."

After Chansey took Kirlia into the examination room, I explained to the nurse, "Kirlia was abandoned by Paul in an environment where Kirlia was neither equipped nor experienced to survive. I also believe that Kirlia was sodomized by Paul."

"Those are serious charges," warned the Nurse.

"And I am serious about getting justice for Kirlia. Since he is now my Pokémon, I authorize you to collect medical evidence of the charges I have made."

"I haven't done that before, but I believe that it is rather invasive."

"Treat his feet and injuries. After a nice hot lunch, he'll sleep it off and you can get to work."

"Noct?"

"If you stay here for lunch you could help distract Kirlia."

Noctowl nodded.

After the Nurse went in to treat Kirlia, I made a videocall to Yuki.

"Where are you? Where have you been?" asked Yuki.

"I'm at the Potato Valley Pokémon Center and my Poketch is broken."

"Where is Potato Valley?"

"Sinnoh."

"Why?"

"There was an abandoned Kirlia that needed my help."

Yuki shrugged that off and said, "Your father called and approved the new Poketch."

"Would you call him and have it shipped express to here. I'd like to stay here and work with a Noctowl that reminds me of Grandma Lilith."

"That conjures up a lot of images," joked Yuki.

"Yuki, I'm sorry that I made you worry. I know that I put you through a lot."

"?"

"We'll talk when I get back." I hung up and sighed.

Noctowl's mind flashed through images of many mates and lovers.

"Did you ever consider having just one?"

Noctowl looked at me like I was an idiot.

I practiced levitation as I waited.

"?"

"Just to have something to do," I explained.

Noctowl closed her eyes and waited.

Without a watch it seemed like a moment went by until Nurse Joy and Chansey returned as they pushed Kirla into the room on a cart. "He's going to have bandages on his hands and feet for a while," explained the nurse with forced cheeriness.

Kirlia knew the truth, but tried to prop up his spirit with the nurse's good will.

I pushed Kirlia into the cafeteria of the Pokémon Center as Nurse Joy went ahead and got lunch. Before I could sit down, she already had a tray with three bowls of …

"Potato Stew," announced Joy, "a local specialty. I always have a pot of it simmering."

My hunger enhanced the aroma of the stew to the point that it smelled better than cuisine from Saffron's 'top' restaurants. I levitated about a spoonful of the stew, blew on it then slurped it in. I smiled and offered a spoonful to Kirlia. He just lunged at the morsel then regretted the burn in his mouth. "Gently," I mentally coaxed, "we are safe, warm and there is plenty of food."

"I'm hungry," noted Kirlia.

"You've been eating grass and bark; you need to adjust to real food. Or at least wait till your stew cools a bit."

We both had three servings of the stew before the pot ran empty. Before Nurse Joy got a fresh pot ready, Kirlia and I both felt full and sleepy. I vaguely remember being moved to a comfy sofa.

When I woke in the morning, Kirlia was already eating breakfast and chatting with Noctowl.

"Good morning," greeted Nurse Joy. "You two were sleeping so peacefully that I just let you sleep."

I blinked against the bright sunlight coming through the windows as I staggered over to the table.

"I guess you're not much of a morning person," joked the nurse.

"I am a morning person. But yesterday was my first time as a flying, blizzard fighting person, so I'm still tired. Could you show me to the coffee maker?"

The nurse was the last person in the room to understand my intentions. Kirlia tried to steel himself against an uncertain future.

In the kitchen I moved close to Joy and shielded our thoughts from Kirlia. "What is the possibility of Kirlia regaining the use of his hands and feet?"

"None."

"That's based upon your experience of medical technology and Kirlia's natural healing ability."

Joy nodded.

"Did you take evolution into account?"

"No, because you said 'Kirlia'. Evolution could work, but it is not guaranteed. He may just evolve into a new form without hands or feet."

"Then we need to control the process to maximize his chances."

"I don't have the kind of equipment," commented Joy.

"Who does?"

"Professor Rowan," replied Joy. "He's famous for his research of Pokémon evolution."

"Then I better make a call," I quipped. I slipped out of the kitchen and made a video call the Rowan's research lab.

"Hello, this is the Sandgem Lab," greeted a woman too young to be Rowan.

"My name is Sabrina. I have a Kirlia that has severe frostbite on its hands and feet. Is it possible for your facility to control his evolution to repair the damage?"

"Uh…" Obviously this woman wasn't a morning person and wasn't ready for such a big question. "I think that Professor Rowan has done this before. He's not here yet, shall I have him call you when he gets in?"

"Please. I'm at the Potato Valley Pokémon Center."

I joined Kirlia for breakfast; afterwards we spent the morning trying to heal the emotional damage with psychic training. Lunch came, but the call from the lab didn't. Kirlia had a hearty lunch and fell asleep, so I made another call.

"Oh. I'm sorry, but Professor Rowan hasn't come in today," apologized to same young woman from before.

"Do you know where he is?"

"Someone in the lab said that he went to Twinleaf Town to visit a friend."

I looked at the Sinnoh map that hung on the wall. Sandgem Town and Twinleaf were very close to each other. "I guess I'll just come to you and maybe catch him when he gets in."

"Okay," replied the woman.

I hung up.

Nurse Joy led a deliver man to me.

"The only things keeping us here, is my lack of wardrobe and your examination of Kirlia."

"I don't know what you hope for me to find after so long. But if Kirlia evolves, won't that evidence be lost?"

"To be honest, I don't know what to look for either. These types of crimes are rare for me in Saffron."

The nurse blinked and asked, "Why?"

"The word of a psychic may not count as direct evidence, but mine does carry some weight in the city. More to the point there are many more witnesses in Saffron and secrets are hard to hide."

Nurse Joy flinched. Her mind flashed an image of Jenny out of uniform.

My own mind flashed an image of Yuki.

"Are you blushing Miss Sabrina?"

"No and neither are you," I lied with a wink. "Let's put Kirlia in his ball and go shopping. I owe you at least that much."

"You don't have to do that."

"Considering how much I owe at least two Pokémon Centers, buying you a new outfit is a bargain."


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

I normally put a lemon warning here. You may be hard pressed to find it in the story.

Author's notes: This is the third chapter in the 'The Beast' story arc. Have you figured out what that is supposed to mean?

The Beast as Therapist

Potato Valley, Sinnoh: If you want a quality potato, be here in the summer. If you want quality skiing, be here in the winter. If you want anything else, be at the bus station by 8 am.

It's not that I needed to use a bus, but I wanted to. I figured that if Kirlia could see that we were leaving this area for warmer parts that he'd adjust better; so I booked two tickets so Kirlia could look out the window. What we saw was snow, snow capped mountains and snow covered houses. It was pretty and repetitive so soon most people on the bus were asleep. The only incident on the trip was when Kirlia awoke as the bus went through a mountain tunnel. Convinced that it was a tunnel and we weren't buried, Kirlia settled down.

We stopped at Hearthome City for a quick lunch and transfer to the Sandgem Town bus. Once on board, I used my new Pokétch to read about the business models of Sinnoh's various bus companies and limited rail network.

"Excuse me. Didn't you want Sandgem Town?" asked the bus driver.

I snapped my mind back to reality. "Thank you." I recalled my sleepy Kirlia to its ball and got off the bus. A short walk later I found Prof. Rowan's lab, but no Rowan himself. His assistant didn't want to tell me that the Professor was visiting someone at the local rehab clinic.

Finding the clinic and getting in was easy. I found the Professor in the dayroom with a Piplup and Dawn. Dawn's mind was in a terrible state. Her mental state was confused when I met her before, but this was worse: Alcohol, withdrawal, prescriptions, identity conflicts…

Dawn noticed me and became furious.

SLAP! I struck her with more force than I knew I had. Dawn landed on the sofa. She had tears in her eyes and a stinging print of my hand on her cheek. As her mind focused on the pain, I slipped in and focused on everything else. Past the mental haze of alcohol and prescriptions were images of Zoey: Zoey the mentor, rival, friend and lover.

"Zoey is mine," I declared. "You don't deserve her back and you won't get her back. Period." The whirlwind in her mind started again.

"No!" she screamed and charged.

I grabbed her telekinetically, slapped her again and stunned her. I quickly pulled her mind into mine. I placed her in a memory of the night that Zoey and Dawn spent in a Saffron Tower love hotel.

"This…" stammered Dawn.

"This was one of the few times that you truly shared your feelings with Dawn," I explained. Before us was an image of Dawn and Zoey kissing passionately as they rolled naked on the artificial jungle floor.

"Why are you showing me this?" asked Dawn.

"You want people to pity you. You want to feel pity for yourself. Look again." I replaced the image of Dawn with an image of me making love to Zoey.

"That's not what happened! Did you and she…?"

"You had plenty of chances and wasted them. Be thankful for the good memories, because I can that that away."

"No!" she cried and attacked my shields.

"Your whole life has been about 'no' hasn't it? You measure yourself by failures instead of successes, losses over wins, love lost instead of found."

"Yes," she weakly admitted.

There was an outside force trying to break in.

"You have great Pokémon, friends and family. Don't waste what you have left." I cast out Dawn's mind so I could focus on… Mesprit. "Dawn wasn't harmed mentally."

The Pokémon wasn't convinced.

"Let me say that I didn't harm her mentally. But what have you done? She hasn't developed emotionally for the last decade. Was that what you were doing?" I accused.

"?"

"She still views herself as a little girl and never measuring up to her mother's image. Unless you are willing to help her grow up, let her go."

"…?"

"I don't expect my Pokémon to stay as they are. Can you sense my Kirlia? Can you sense its pain? Do you want it to stay that way forever? Joy and sorrow are events; they must pass so we can grow."

"…" Mesprit pondered.

"I doubt that all of Dawn's problems are your fault. As a teacher I have found that sometimes you need to let others make mistakes and fail, before they can understand success. Dawn's mother knows this to be true."

I withdrew from the mental realm and back to physical. There I heard Prof. Rowan demand, "Explain yourself young woman!"

I was being 'restrained' by an orderly and so was Dawn.

"Dawn's emotional development was hampered by her connection the Pokémon Mesprit." That statement caused Dawn's mind to flash images of Ash Ketchem, Brock and a list of charges against them of emotional immaturity. "Perhaps the guardians chose you three because all of you were immature and dysfunctional."

"Stay out of my head!" bawled Dawn.

"You were committed to this place for treatment. I'm treating you," I explained. To the orderly that held me too tightly I said, "Take a nap." He did on the floor. "I have asked Mesprit to release you from its influence. I doubt it did anything out of malice. I believe that Mesprit took a liking to you and wanted to keep you 'young', but since it controls emotions it kept your emotional development stuck at ten-years old. I assume that you have tried to grow up emotionally as your friends did, but Mesprit kept pulling you back." I looked around the room for a model. "Emotionally you are like that bonsai: when you grew too much, Mesprit would prune you, thus your growth was stunted."

"Mesprit did this to me?"

"By our standards, Mesprit is ancient. Ten years would feel like a moment, but in that ten years you should have gone through a lot of changes, those changes may have been too much for the Pokémon to follow."

"So all of this? Zoey?"

"Before you put all the blame on the Pokémon, remember: it manipulated your emotions, but you controlled your actions. Your actions caused a lot of pain and grief for Zoey. She's in Saffron City now and making a new life for herself. Please don't rush to her."

"Does she hate me?" asked Dawn as she held back the tears.

"No you spoiled brat, she feels sorry for you."

"Am I a spoiled brat?"

"You _were_ a spoiled brat. Today is a new day; why not make a new start?" I turned my attention to Professor Rowan and asked, "Professor, now that Dawn has made some progress; do you have the time to help my Kirlia?"

"The frostbite case?"

"Yes."

"We have to go to Oreburgh City and their research facility," he replied but was hesitant.

I followed his glance at Dawn and her Piplup. "Is Piplup your first Pokémon?" I asked. I easily saw the answer in everyone's mind. I bent down to Piplup's level and said, "I think you and Dawn have a lot to talk about with regard to 'not wanting to grow up and evolve'."

I left. Outside I was soon met by Prof. Rowan who led me to a waiting car. The first thing that he said in a half an hour was, "I'm not sure I approve of you bedside manner."

"Wait until you see my bill."

He gave a little harrumph of a laugh.

"Any thoughts about Kirlia's other issue?" I asked.

"I've made arrangements with the Oreburgh Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy will know what to look for and it will be quick."

"Thank you."

After a long pause, the professor asked, "Are you going to pursue this matter against Paul?"

"I'm not sure at this time. I know that the evidence won't be enough to convict, or even censure, Paul. But I want it documented so if there are more charges, then he can be put away."

"His training methods were unorthodox and harsh, I'm afraid that it may bias people's opinions of him."

"Explain please before curiosity tempts me."

"When I was a young trainer, I was accused of being too harsh with my Pokémon."

"Did you sodomize your Pokémon?" I asked bluntly.

"Absolutely not."

"He did."

"So you say."

There was another long pause before I replied, "As a psychic I can be aware of crimes that can't be brought to justice. I find this very frustrating. But I could also commit crimes that could never be traced back to me. Should I commit crimes for the sake of justice?"

The professor raised a nervous eyebrow at me.

"There was a time when I wouldn't hesitate to punish Paul for what he did. There was also a time that my word as Daimyo would have been enough to execute Paul."

"Is that what you want now: power?"

"I have power already. Seeking power for power's sake is insane. After the evidence is taken, I will do what I can to heal Kirlia. If needed, I can erase the memory."

"But that isn't justice," concluded Rowan with a sigh. "What would you do if he came to your gym?"

"Beat him." I sensed Rowan's disbelief. "The gym's main focus is to evaluate young trainers, and their even younger Pokémon to compete in the Indigo League. I can't use all my resources against them. But Paul doesn't deserve that. Paul needs to be beaten in a way that will test his leadership and character. Since his character is very much flawed, I doubt he'll ever earn a badge from me."

"You treat humans as Paul treats Pokémon," accused the professor as he recalled my treatment of Dawn.

"Perhaps, but Paul isn't nice to humans either."

The Professor nodded to that and buried his thoughts inside his world of research. As the car drove on, I tested the strength of my arm and hand against my psychic ability. My reading may have been crude, but I was stronger physically than I had been. I meditated on my memories and searched for when this change took place. Before I could find the answer, Professor Rowan informed me that we had arrived.

The local Nurse Joy met us inside the research facility attached to the Oreburgh Coal Museum. I released Kirlia onto an exam table and shielded his thoughts from everyone else. "We're going to give you something that will put you in a deep trance," I explained. "When you recover, you will have evolved and your body will be new."

"…?"

"Kirlia," I placed my hand on his cheek, "I brought you out of that frozen hell; do you think that I'd stop fighting for you now?" I replayed in our minds the hypnotic sight of snow cover scenery, while Nurse Joy made her quick exam. Kirlia's subconscious replayed the troubled, lustful and frustrating mental imprint of Paul's moment of weakness and cruelty.

I opened my eyes and stared directly through Nurse Joy and said, "Go far away. Leave those troubled thoughts behind."

Nurse Joy nodded and quickly left.

The anesthesia that Nurse Joy gave Kirlia was working to the point where I was getting drowsy. I focused on calming Kirlia, so I barely noticed Professor Rowan and the staff taking Kirlia to their machine.

…

"Miss Sabrina, can you hear me?"

"Yes Professor and only you," I replied in my trance. "Am I needed?"

"No the procedure is working. Do you need a rest?"

"No."

"But it's been two hours."

"Please don't interrupt if it isn't important."

…

"The procedure was a success," announced Rowan. "We're bringing him out now."

"Yes," I replied. "I can feel his fingers and toes. We are sluggish, but whole." I opened my eyes and Gallade did as well. He gave a weak smile. "Hello; time for a nap."

Gallade fell asleep content. I returned him to his Pokéball.

"Do you need anything?" asked the Professor.

"A cup of tea please."

A short time later I was sipping tea and sitting in a comfy chair in someone's office. I noticed through the window that the sun had set. "Thank you for the tea, and thank you very much for giving my Pokémon a new start."

"I couldn't turn down a Pokémon in need," replied Rowan.

"Which is what makes you better than Paul."

"What did you do?"

"As you rebuilt Gallade's body, I rebuilt his memories and locked that ugly moment deep in his mind."

"So why are you sad?"

I clutched the teacup for warmth. "I went through months of Gallade's memories. I fought with him against his fear, pain, loneliness and betrayal." I watched my fingers and I flexed them. "I've learned to do so much with my psychic ability that I never bothered to appreciate what wondrous things fingers are."

"Are you in your 'right mind'?" asked the Professor.

I gave a little giggle and said, "I can see the quotation marks hanging in your thoughts."

He gave a rare, but kind, smile.

"I should be soon. I have done similar things before and recovered my sense of self. But as I was trying to help Gallade, I found that there was something locked in my own mind."

"I'm afraid I don't understand how can things be 'locked'," replied a man who was used to knowing things.

"Memories are like words in a child's picture book. The words get their meaning from context and images. To lock a memory you need to hide the page or make it unreadable…"

"So the memory is destroyed?" asked the Professor in a concerned tone.

"Did I blackout?"

"Briefly."

"Sorry. The easy way to make the memory unreadable, but still have it on record, is to encode it. Memories are naturally encoded by the physical structure of the brain."

"So how can you read another's mind?"

"Like everyone else: through common experience and perception. Your assistants can read some of your thoughts because they are familiar with you and your actions. Mind reading is about seeing that mental picture book in other people's thoughts and reading the footnotes."

"Interesting," he concluded.

"I'd like to think so."

"What about minds of Pokémon that don't share common experiences or physical traits?"

"That takes a lot of work, but thankfully memories have more than one sensory reference. But it can be tricky too. Do you realize how much a Metagross's memory is dedicated to magnetic fields? That's why they're resistant to psychic attacks. It's like shouting at a Geiger counter."

"Um, Geiger counters don't measure magnetic fields; they measure radioactive decay particles."

"Would shouting at one bother it?"

"No."

"Then that's my point; correct the details as you see fit."

"What's next for you?"

"I'm not ready to go home, but I want at least go somewhere warm." I typed in a text to Kiyo. "Maybe I can find some help in training Gallade in what it means to be a fighting type. I know that you'd want to suggest Maylene, but I'd prefer someone that Gallade has never met."

Kiyo texted back that he was at the Cianwood Gym in Johto.

"Does this town have an airport?" I asked.

It did, so after a phone call and a short ride to the airfield, I was asleep on Grandma's jet.

When I woke, there was silence. It took me a moment to realize that the engines were shutdown. I looked out the window and saw that we were parked at a different airfield and the sun was shining behind distant clouds.

"Good morning ma'am." It was the pilot's voice over the intercom. "Do you require anything else?"

"Other than directions to a place where I can get some breakfast, no thank you Nicolai."

"I'm afraid that I'm not familiar with this region."

"I'll make do. Thank you again for the flight, and thank Lady Lilith for me too."

"Do you want us to wait?"

"No. I'm close enough to home that I can get there easily."

The co-pilot came to let me out of the plane, while the pilot started the engines.

I stepped onto the tarmac. My face looked like I slept on it, I was wearing a snow suit and I was hungry. I smiled at the sun and left my troubles behind me as I walked off in search of breakfast.

The town was easy to find from the airstrip. The residents had woken before I did, and they were already busy with their morning. A horn blew on a departing ferry and trucks were shuttling goods to towns inland. A group of trainers and Pokémon were on the beach and moving away from the port. A quick mental scan showed that they were fighting types. At last my Pokétch got a signal from the local Pokémon Center and gave me a map and overview of the town. I made my way towards the gym.

As planned, I reached the gym as the joggers returned. "Sabrina!" shouted Kiyo as he and Lucario waved.

"Master Kiyo, it is good to see you again. Lucario, you seem stronger and more confident."

The Steel type nodded with a smile.

"Sabrina, I'd like you to meet Chuck the Gym Leader."

"Yosh!" greeted the barrel-chested man.

I gave a slight bow to the Gym Leader. "I know that this is rather sudden, but may I ask a favor?"

"A gym battle?"

"Breakfast," I corrected. Several stomachs growled.

"HA HA," boomed Chuck. "The first one is free, but after that you have to earn it with effort."

"I'll try not to destroy your gym," I answered with a wink.

"HA HA!" Chuck led us into his gym and to the eating area where his wife had breakfast ready.

"Chuck you dirty old man! Did you recruit another pretty girl for your gym?" scolded his wife Tara.

"How could anyone be prettier than you? Or a better cook?"

Despite his sweet talk, she didn't let him have seconds, but she did let my Gallade have thirds.

"He evolved yesterday," I explained.

Other than Tara and myself, I found the lack of female anything disturbing. "Good thing Gallade is male, or you probably wouldn't let me in the door."

"It took me years of nagging to let me into the kitchen," declared Tara.

"It's a tradition," insisted Chuck, "Beautiful women are a distraction."

"Whatever, I just want Gallade trained to use his new body."

"So what should we teach him first?" asked Kiyo.

"Anybody here know Psycho Cut?" I asked. None did. "Okay, I'll put that on the 'to do' list for later."

"Focus Punch!" insisted Chuck.

"Stand around and wait for someone to hit you? No thanks," I replied.

Tara snickered.

"Let's start with a basic Brick Break," offered Kiyo, "Unless you want to teach him Force Palm."

"Those arm blades don't look suited for Force Palm and Aura Sphere is silly now that his Special Attack has dropped."

"Force Palm is too subtle for my taste," barked Chuck.

"It's easier to crack a stone with subtlety and finesse than it is with brute force," I pointed out.

"If you wanted subtlety, why did you evolve him into a Gallade?"

"I didn't have a choice. But I do have a choice if I want him trained by delinquents."

"That sounds like a challenge," growled Chuck.

"I hope you accept, because I haven't brought down a fighting gym in ages," I purred.

The banter led us to the battlefield. "Bring out your Pokémon!" insisted Chuck.

"My Pokémon is still eating breakfast. But I don't need a Pokémon to beat fighting types," I replied.

Kiyo shook his head at the sidelines and remember when I brought down his gym.

"It's bad sportsmanship to beat up a woman," replied Chuck.

"My gym is at the sixth level because I don't fight in gym battles," I boasted.

"Have it your way: a one-on-one battle with my Poliwrath." The said Pokémon was released from its Pokéball.

Kiyo took the place of referee. "Are you two sure about this?" he asked.

"Yosh!"

I nodded.

"Begin."

Before Chuck could finish saying, "Hypnosis," I had an Aura Sphere launched at Poliwrath. Poliwrath took the hit and pressed on with his attack. I closed my eyes and let my second sight find the path. I teleported between Poliwrath and Chuck, and poured my reserve energy into my palm.

"Surf!" insisted Chuck.

The wave of water separated me from my target, but it also gave Poliwrath some momentum. I added my Force Palm to the momentum and sent Poliwrath hurtling across the field. As I waited for Poliwrath's next move, I put together another Aura Sphere.

I didn't expect Poliwrath to bounce like a rubber ball off the field, then the wall and at me! He turned the momentum to into a potential Body Slam! I let the Aura Sphere fly, but hit him in the side to send him off course. I barely dodged his impact. He turned the miss into another ricochet and lined up for another attack.

I had to stop thinking like a fighter and start thinking like a psychic. An arrow's flight is most vulnerable at the top; so when Poliwrath was at the top of his arc, I psychically pushed him out of the way and bounced him into a wall. He wouldn't admit that he was hurt and probably wasn't. I added my psychic energy to his momentum until he crashed through the ceiling.

"Since I pushed him out of bounds, can we call it a draw?"

Chuck was speechless, but nodded. Kiyo called the match a draw. A few minutes later Chuck retrieved his Pokémon. When he returned, I apologized, "Sorry about the roof. I've been making a bad habit of breaking things."

"Don't worry about dear," insisted Tara, "Chuck needed to replace it anyway. Now he doesn't have an excuse to put it off."

"Yes dear," replied Chuck as he shuffled off.

"I hope I didn't wound his pride."

"He has more than enough pride," claimed Tara. "He also has all the supplies for the roof back there. The only bad thing is that now he'll insist that he lost because I distracted him or brought him bad luck."

"I didn't mean for that to happen. I don't want to be known as a home wrecker."

"I can handle him. It would have been worse if you just put his Pokémon to sleep with the first move. He moped for days after that happened." Gallade waddled out of the kitchen area. "Someone has a big appetite."

"He was starving for days. I think he over compensated."

"Then we'll just have to work it off," declared Kiyo.

"Go with Master Kiyo and work off that breakfast," I insisted. "I'll go offer Chuck a hand."

"He won't accept," replied Tara.

"Then I'll make sure he doesn't fall off the roof," I joked then levitated up through the hole I created. Once I was through the hole I grabbed Chuck and put him firmly back on the roof.

"How did you do that?"

I impersonated a levitating Meditite.

"Your ears are too small."

"I forgot my false ears in my other pants."

"HA HA!" he boomed.

Chuck busied himself with ripping off the old cedar roof. I kept the debris aimed at the dumpster below.

"I heard that Kiyo left his gym because he was beaten by a psychic. I didn't believe it when they said that she didn't use Pokémon."

"One of those regrettable moments of youth."

I watched Kiyo and Lucario try to explain the finer points of breaking roof tiles to Gallade.

"Do you really regret it?" asked Chuck.

"I regret the type of person I was and how I viewed and treated other people."

"Did you fight fairly?"

"As fair as today."

"Then don't regret the victory. It's better to fight fair and win than throw a fight."

"Isn't that part of our job: throw fights?"

"Never!" boomed Chuck. "I may not use my strongest Pokémon in every gym battle, but that doesn't mean that we don't fight as hard as possible."

"I still feel like I'm throwing the match," I confessed.

"You're showing those trainers what it means to overcome challenges with what they have."

"Maybe I perceive things different as a psychic. Hypnosis, for example, works best if the command is something that the target wants to do, or is capable of doing."

"Holds and throws are the same way," replied Chuck.

"When you send your Pokémon into battle, don't you wish that you could go in and take their place? I can feel my Pokémon's pain and anguish when they lose."

"And other gym leaders can't? Do you think that trainers can't feel the pain of their Pokémon?"

I smiled.

"What I find strange is your lapse in confidence," observed Chuck with a smirk.

"Maybe I don't feel threatened by fighting types so I let down my guard," I replied half teasing.

"HA HA," boomed Chuck. "Wait until you get my bill."

"I can go through a therapist faster than I can take down a gym leader," I growled.

"I can see why Kiyo admires you," whispered Chuck.

"Admire?" I whispered back when I realized that Kiyo was still down below.

"Oh don't go acting like a schoolgirl," insisted Chuck. "He told me about how you took down his gym, and what you went through to rescue Lucario. I can imagine that you did something similar for that Gallade."

"All of us would."

"But not all of us could," corrected Chuck.

"That's not something to admire."

"You dedicated yourself to training since you were a child. So did Kiyo and I. Yet you surpassed us both despite being younger."

"I'm psychic, I know your weaknesses," I replied. I may have been blushing.

"Really? What is it?"

"Muscle memory."

"Hmm, I never heard that one before. Explain."

"You train until your body can fight without conscious thought. You train your bodies so fighting is a reflex. This leaves your minds open to attack."

"You understand that I ask these questions of my students?"

I nodded.

"So one more question: If a fighter's mind is open to a psychic attack why do we resist the darkness?"

I didn't have an answer.

I looked to Chuck. His mind was blank, and I knew it would be cheating to look deeper in his mind. I looked back to Kiyo, then Chuck again. "Why do you use cedar if you have all of those tiles?" I asked.

Chuck almost fell off the roof, but I caught him again.

"Those are the rejects from the local factory; besides the roof can't take the weight."

"Oh. If you'll remember to watch you balance, I'll go join Gallade," I teased as I levitated off the roof and down to the ground.

Lucario was correcting Gallade's stance as I approached. "Miss Sabrina would you like to try?" asked Kiyo as he waved to a stack of tiles.

"But I don't know Brick Break."

"That doesn't matter; just don't break your hand."

I took what I thought was the correct stance over a pile of tiles. "Should I just hit it or use Force Palm?"

"Force Palm, if you like."

"Um, okay." I laid my palm on the stack of tiles. The tiles may have been rejects, but their flaws were not consistent.

"Try to break as many as possible; it doesn't matter which ones."

I nodded as I felt for the best path. The tiles chattered in anticipation. My hand went forward through the path in my mind.

I opened my eyes and saw tile fragments beneath me.

"Thirty tiles, not bad," commented Kiyo loud enough for Chuck to hear. I sensed that Chuck lost his balance, so I caught him and floated him to the ground.

Unfazed by his flight, Chuck stomped over to investigate the scene. After picking through the debris, Chuck commented, "A thirty tile punch is pretty good. That would explain its effectiveness against Poliwrath."

"Here is something else: these three tiles were on the top of the pile," explained Kiyo.

"That is definitely a Force Palm," agreed Chuck.

"I'm glad I could help," I replied.

"Wha?" muttered Chuck who forgot that I was there. "Yes, good job." He gave me a hearty slap on the back then apologized, "Sorry."

"Since I don't speak 'muscle memory', could someone explain to me what's going on?"

"Force Palm strikes the interior of the opponent in their nervous system. Brick Break breaks through their defenses. These three tiles were the defense for the others." Kiyo clanked two of the said tiles together as he said, "Metal, not clay."

"That's not the whole story is it," I prompted.

"When we trained in the ice cave, I would have put your Force Palm strength at no more than eight tiles. You got a lot stronger recently."

"I don't remember doing it," I replied with a shrug.

Chuck and Kiyo scowled at me.

"I did catch Pokérus and demolished the gym."

"Pokérus?" they both exclaimed.

"Shh! I don't want people to spread rumors about me," I insisted.

The two sighed in disappointment.

"We could have revolutionized training," muttered Chuck.

"She'll surpass me again if this keeps up," grumbled Kiyo.

"… What does this have to do with training Gallade?"

"Nothing," declared Kiyo. "So if you'll stand back, we've got some training to do."

"And I've got a roof to finish."

A moment later I was in a mental wasteland. The only higher thoughts that I could find were my own, and Tara inside as she made a shopping list. I resigned myself to the domestic chores, for some sense of sanity.

"You don't need to help me with the shopping," insisted Tara. "I've got Machoke to help carry things."

"I just need to be around a normal mind for a while. No offense."

Tara didn't feel insulted, but rather giggled, "Is my husband too headstrong for a psychic?"

I nodded.

"Well, his heart is in the right place. Let's go to the baths before we do the shopping; maybe that will clear your mind."

As we walked to town, Tara didn't talk, but her mind was abuzz with recipes and ingredients.

'Clear your mind', 'headstrong', 'heart in the right place': something about those everyday phrases wouldn't leave my mind.

"Miss Sabrina?" asked Tara.

"Sorry?"

"If I didn't know better I would say that you just walked across town, got undressed and washed without thinking about it," giggled Tara.

I looked at Tara; she was in a public bath. So was I. "Um, I just walked across town, got undressed and washed without thinking about it."

"How?"

"Because you did?"

"So if I had instead gone skinny-dipping at the beach…"

"I would have done the same."

"You sure are trusting."

"Let's say that I'm impressionable at times," I replied with a wink. "I was lost in thought by things that you have said. I was hoping that there was an answer to Chuck's question."

"Is he treating you like one of his students?"

"Perhaps it was time that someone did." My mind focused enough on the present so I recognized the sound of the ocean.

"I'm glad I married a gym leader and not a fisherman," commented Tara.

"Hmm?"

"I couldn't enjoy the sounds of the ocean if I knew that my husband risked his life on them," explained Tara. "Is there someone in your life that you worry about?"

"Pokémon?"

"That's not the same."

"I thought that I found someone, but I did something bad."

"Is that why you're hiding here?"

I sighed, "What gave me away?"

"Kiyo: you're acting just like him."

"What are you and Chuck implying?"

"You are Kiyo's ultimate rival."

"I was wondering if my life could get more complicated," I moaned.

"Complicated? How about, 'rich with opportunities'?"

"Are you psychic?" I asked as I raised my mental shields.

"No. But you are; as well as wealthy, heir to a title, a gym leader, young and beautiful."

"Yet I was lecturing someone about being a spoiled brat just the other day."

"There you go," she teased.

"I mean about not being a spoiled brat… anymore."

"That's a good sign."

"I stepped into that one," I groaned.

"Yes you did."

"I think that earning a badge in your gym, would be a lot harder than Chuck's."

"Nonsense," she replied with a smile.

"Because I would be on guard in a gym battle," I concluded.

"I don't have time to run my own gym."

"Too busy picking up after Chuck?"

"That's one way to put it. I've consoled countless trainers that lost to Chuck. Usually a hearty meal is all that it takes. But you beat him and still you mope."

"I feel like there is something missing in my life. Several things in fact: a gap in my memory, unresolved justice for Gallade and an uncertain future."

"I don't have anything in my cookbook that will fix those problems. I know that the future is always uncertain. But in Chuck's case it's about having a purpose. For him being a gym leader is enough." A moment later, Tara asked, "What question did Chuck give you?"

I replayed Chuck's question, "If a fighter's mind is open to a psychic attack why do we resist the darkness?" on my Pokétch.

"I was wondering if it was safe to bring that into the bath."

"I'm safer to be around with these on, than with them off. Think of them as my version of a Machoke belt."

Tara snickered.

I saw in her mind that the Machoke belt also suppresses their hormones and erections.

"It may do that as well," I added.

Tara laughed. "Chuck usually asks simple questions like, 'What's the point of using [fill in the blank] if I'm using Focus Punch?' You got a hard question."

"Lucky me."

"Not really. I need to get the shopping done before Davey, our son, comes home from school. If I don't get him started on his homework, Chuck will just whisk him off to train."

"You don't want your son to be a gym leader?"

"I don't want my son to be stuck with a third grade education. There is no point in having a sports or Pokémon scholarship if he can't read."

We soon had left the baths and were shopping for fresh vegetables and fish. "I hope you don't mind a high protein dinner; that's kind of the norm around the gym," apologized Tara.

"If it helps Gallade to heal, and tastes better than Pokémon Chow, how could I refuse?"

Tara raised an eyebrow.

"Salty and bland, but it is filling if you don't have time to cook."

Tara giggled.

After the shopping was complete, I linked my mind to Gallade and used him as an anchor so I could teleport Tara and me.

Once at the gym, I braced myself to catch Chuck, but Chuck wasn't on the roof, nor was he falling off the roof. I mentally asked Gallade, "Where is Chuck?"

"Aha! I caught you!" It was Tara shouting from inside the gym. "Unless you decide to change this dojo into a sumo stable, stay away from the sweets!"

"So Gallade, have you made progress?" I asked.

"He's a good student," praised Kiyo.

Gallade was clearing away the debris from his practice, while Lucario prepared a target.

Gallade took his position above a sandwich of tiles and boards. His mind was focused on his target. With one strike he split the stack.

I applauded. "Thank you Master Kiyo. Thank you Lucario."

"We were honored to help. What's next for you and Gallade?"

"Chuck said something about fighters resisting the darkness. Maybe we need to learn X-Scissor next in Azalea Town."

"Those two attacks would make a good asset in gym battles against Dark types," observed Kiyo.

"… Hmm? Yes they would," I agreed.

"Is there something on your mind?"

"There is always something on my mind." Gallade had learned Brick Break. For some reason, Force Palm wasn't good enough. I went into the gym to use Chuck's famous indoor waterfall.

Psycho Cut: to date, none of my Pokémon knew it, because I didn't believe that we could use it effectively.

I passed my hand under the waterfall. I psychically repelled the water then changed the orientation of my hand until the resistance was least. One of Chuck's students was curious enough to ask what I was doing.

"I'm trying to understand Psycho Cut. Does that look like a cut to you?"

"No ma'am. It looks like a chop, from an axe."

"Doesn't an axe cut?"

"I think that you want to cut like a sword instead," he offered. He thought that I was testing him.

"Good point," I replied with a wink. I removed my hand and wandered off.

Cut… cut like a sword…cuts both ways…cut the cheese…paper cut. Paper cut; how does paper cut?

"Tara, where can I get a paper cut?"

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, is there a stationary store in town?"

Tara indicated on the map that there was a store near the harbor. After a short walk I found that the little store was owned and operated by Miss Velum. "Welcome. May I help you?"

"I'm researching paper cuts. How can paper cut?" I asked.

"Just like a knife," she replied. She was trying to be enigmatic, but in her thoughts I saw the concept of a knife with its tiny teeth. When the teeth are aligned, the knife cuts. When the teeth are bent over, the knife doesn't cut.

I nodded thoughtfully at her sage advice. Those tiny teeth may be difficult to duplicate psychically or they may just be a natural phenomena. I looked through the stationary until a pack of index cards caught my eye. Cut the cards… I purchased the pack and wandered back toward the gym.

I tried to focus my thoughts on one card and push it out of the stack, but they all looked the same.

Someone was singing from a nearby shrine. "Jig-gly Puff Jig-gl-y."

The balloon Pokémon was singing on a ceremonial stage. The attending priest and others were asleep. Jigglypuff was pretending that its marker was a microphone.

"Excuse me," I said as I took the pen. I marked the edges of one card from my deck and returned the pen. "Thank you very much."

"Puff!"

"That's what it is for: writing on things."

"Jiggly Jiggly," she argued.

"So what is it for?"

Jigglypuff sang its song from the beginning as she pretended that the pen was a microphone.

I tuned out the song while I concentrated on the black edged card. As I pushed it out of the stack, six or seven other cards would move too.

"Puff?"

"Hmm?" Jigglypuff had finished her song, or rather the typical Jigglypuff song.

"Good job."

"Puff Jiggly?"

"Well it wasn't original was it?"

"…"

"Besides you were off key on the third verse," I added after checking my Pokétch. "I suspect that most of your listeners fall asleep after the first verse so you haven't practiced enough to be consistent."

Jigglypuff agreed.

"If you want to be famous, you need to standout from other Jigglypuff. One reason that people fall asleep is that the song is boring."

"PUFF?"

"It is. Trust me, I know about hypnotic influence. If it wasn't boring it wouldn't work."

Jigglypuff was deflated, literally.

"You need to branch out. Form a duo with another Pokémon, or find a Chimecho and learn Heal Bell."

"Puff?"

"Sorry, I don't do contests and I have so much to do I couldn't spend much time on your career."

"Jiggly…"

"Cut the fake tears: I'm psychic so I can see through your ploy. Good luck."

"Puff!" The angry Pokémon charged.

I caught her with my telekinesis. "I told you I'm psychic." I encased her in an Aura Sphere and launched her far inland.

I walked on as I concentrated on my new exercise. When I reached Chuck's gym, I was only pushing five extra cards. My Pokétch buzzed with an incoming call. "Hi Yuki."

"Oh good you are speaking to me again."

I levitated away for privacy. "I was saving you the bother of punishing me by doing it myself."

"Well thank you, that is very considerate. What the hell are you talking about?"

"I cheated."

"With the 'gardener'?" asked Yuki without hesitation.

"Yes."

"Your grandmother already apologized for that."

"She what?"

"Lady Lilith figured that the gardener would be the only one to survive your Pokérus enhanced libido, so she called him in after you did that stunt with the gym."

"Wait a minute," I replied. "If we're trying to establish some sort of relationship then isn't what I did wrong?"

"Some would say that our relationship is wrong," admitted Yuki. "If you're going to be true to your role as Daimyo, you should have several lovers, consorts, courtesans or whatever they're called. Before you get any ideas, if you want to go back to having a stable of lovers you can count me out."

"Yes dear."

"I mean it. I know that I can't stop you, but that doesn't mean that I have to accept it."

"The Pokérus has passed; I should be in control."

"Good. How's the new Pokémon?"

"Since everything is new and supportive here, he is adjusting very well."

"Oh, speaking of adjustment, I got word from Prof. Rowan thanking you for what you did for Dawn. You're not having an affair with her too?"

"No," I insisted. "Her mind is way too messed up without Mesprit trying to reset her emotional development."

"Do you want me to tell Zoey?"

"I'll do it when I get back."

"What are you working on now?"

"I'm trying to teach myself Psycho Cut."

"Good, then you'll be somewhat useful in the kitchen. Do you know how to cook anything other than rice?"

"…No. Realize though that I am currently levitating over this city, while you are in my penthouse apartment on top of my multibillion Pokédollar building."

"Okay, okay, cooking isn't that important for a businesswoman/gym leader. But when you start having domestic thoughts…"

"How are the mothers-to-be?"

"They're fine. The eggs should hatch in a day or two."

"I'd like to be there for that. I'll catch the overnight ferry home."

"Then I'll see you in the morning."

I floated down to Kiyo. "I'm catching the overnight ferry back to Saffron City; shall I book an extra bunk for you?"

"…"

"You have to face your fears sometime."

"Are you trying to read my thoughts?"

"Master Kiyo, I don't try to read someone's thoughts, I just do it."

"Very well, I'll admit that I don't like the idea of starting over," he answered with a sigh.

"Have you read the revised Gym Leader Guidelines?"

"No."

"Gyms operate under two sets of rules depending on the challenge's experience. If the challenger has eight or more badges, and has received league standing, you don't have to comply with the regional Pokémon only rule. You could use Lucario, or any fighting Pokémon not native to Kanto."

"When did this happen?"

"Shortly after someone established the Battle Frontier. The Pokémon League updated the gym rules to make us competitive with the Battle Frontier which wasn't regulated by the League. It also lets Pokémon from the lower ranked gyms continue to battle instead of facing an early retirement."

"I had no idea."

"You really have been in a cave," I teased. "I'm sending a request to the local print center for a copy of the updated manual. You can read it on the ferry." I sent emails to the ferry company and the print center.

Soon we had a farewell lunch with Chuck, Tara and the students. "We wish that you could stay longer," offered Tara.

"I have two Pokémon with eggs that are about to hatch," I explained.

"That should make it lively around the gym," boomed Chuck.

"They spend more time in my apartment than at the gym. Besides, the gym is just a crater in the mud."

Chuck offered several toasts. Then he offered a cab ride followed with another toast. When the cab arrived at the dock, Kiyo was asleep. I levitated him onto the ferry and made him comfortable in the stateroom for the ride to Vermillion City.

I took Gallade to the bar for a light supper as we watched the sunset.

Three extra cards.

"?"

"I'm trying to teach myself Psycho Cut," I explained. "Nervous?"

Gallade nodded.

"If things get too hectic at home, I'm sure that Kiyo will let you stay at his place. I believe that you'll enjoy Saffron City. It may be one of the most populous cities in the world, which I know can overwhelm a psychic, but there is such a richness in those collective thoughts. There are also several refuges where you can go for mental peace and clarity. I believe that it is the greatest city in the world."

"?" Gallade thought that my statement contradicted itself.

"I guess it's like Master Chuck's question. Hearing thousands of minds isn't so bad when you listen to what they say together: Hard work, enterprise, ingenuity and dedication. I guess that I could say that the city has its heart in the right place."

Gallade looked at his own chest and wondered if he evolved correctly.

"We are going to learn what phrase means together," I said with a little laugh.

Author's Note: Since Chuck's wife isn't named; I just named her after the English voice actress Tara Jayne. Thanks to Bulbapedia.


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Almost Back to Normal

Part 1

Almost back to normal: that's how things felt. Kiyo was back in his dojo after wandering for a decade. I was home and Yuki wasn't too mad with my moment of indiscretion. Gardevoir's and Espeon's eggs hatched, so there were three baby Pokémon running loose in the apartment, and three parent Pokémon running after them.

The most remarkable event was that Gardevoir's eggs hatched one Ralts and one Gastly. Nurse Joy confirmed that this sometimes happens for Pokémon with mixed parents. Gengar was at first pleased that his daughter was a ghost like himself. Then he found that little Gastly was as much of a troublemaker as her father.

Little Eevee wanted to battle and constantly used Tackle on his mother and anyone else. Ralts instead was shy and would Teleport at the mere thought that someone was looking at him.

When the drama of egg hatching was past, Grandma Lilith came by for a visit.

She greeted the little ones and gave each a Pokeblock.

"You are going to spoil them," I mentioned.

"That's my job," she teased back.

"How are the plans for the new gym?"

"I hope that you don't want your gym to be in the basement of Queen's Keep. The gym shouldn't be built over a shopping mall and subway system; so I made a deal on the MUGI building."

"The shiny one across the street?"

"Yes. According to the architect we can gut the insides and put in everything on your wish list for the gym. I brought some preliminary sketches for your approval."

"Everything?" asked Yuki as she worked in the kitchen. Dreams of a private pool danced in her head.

"How big will the gym be?"

"Standard size battlefield and seating for 500."

"What about the outdoor battlefield?"

"We can put a floating stage in the marsh, use movable bleachers and have the castle in the background. This will give us seating for 10,000."

"What do we do with the Queen's Keep?" I asked.

"Were you planning on moving in?"

"You're Daimyo, not me," I teased.

"The Queen's Keep will be restored as a museum and I'll be able to move some these things out of my house."

"If I can have the MUGI building then I'd like to upgrade to a penthouse apartment and garden."

"What's the matter? Is your neighborhood too 'noisy'?"

"Maybe…I just thought of something else: Rooftop apartments on the perimeter and a central garden and play area."

"For Hugh?"

"And other students and staff," I added. "I can use my technology to provide shielding for each apartment so they can have quiet."

"How about a dormitory so you can bring in students whose parents can't relocate?"

"I love it."

"How many more students do you think you can attract if you have dorms?"

"A dozen, maybe."

Grandma scribbled down some notes. "I'll send this on to the architect; she'll just love these changes."

"Thank you grandma."

"Will you be staying for dinner?" asked Yuki.

"Is Sabrina cooking?"

"No, I am," offered Yuki.

"Then yes please," answered my Grandmother with a sly grin.

I psychically caught Eevee before he Tackled grandma's foot. "Time for a timeout," I declared and sent him to his Pokéball.

"Are you sure that you want to use the Pokéball as punishment?" Grandma asked.

"I'm just sending him to his room," I replied.

"What about the other two?"

"Ralts acts like a ghost, while Gastly acts like her father."

"How is Master Kiyo adjusting?"

"He's been getting a lot of business since he's the only gym in town," joked Yuki as she brought out food from the kitchen.

"The League may not finance your new gym if the Dojo is too popular," teased Grandma.

"I'll be out of a job," sobbed Yuki.

"Then I'll just pursue my unrealized dream of being a Top Coordinator," I declared. "Actually Master Kiyo doesn't want to fit in. But we put him to work teaching us about fighting Pokémon."

Grandma raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, I am taking a class with three of my students from Master Kiyo."

"Just treat him better than your tutors and your college professors," ordered my Grandmother.

"Yes ma'am."

"Tutors?" asked Yuki.

Grandma then replayed a long, and embarrassing, story of how I treated my tutors both as a child and when I was a teenager after Ash Ketchum freed me from myself.

"I would figure that Sabrina would become a good student in the end."

"She was hungry for knowledge," explained grandma. "She worked her tutors hard and cast them aside when they ran out of knowledge."

"That doesn't sound like it would end well."

"It didn't," I muttered.

"What happened?"

"I became her tutor," declared my grandma.

"She could suck facts and figures from other people's minds, but I forced her to reason and understand."

"Too bad you didn't teach her how to cook," teased Yuki.

"Grandma doesn't know how," I added.

"Now I know who she takes after," quipped Yuki.

"You say it like it's a bad thing," purred my grandmother.

The next morning we had a staff meeting in the portable office next to the construction site. "Because we are buying and modifying an existing building, we should be able to resume classes much sooner than if we wait for the Queen's Keep to be finished."

"But…," prompted Zoey.

"The MUGI building is occupied so renovations are limited by what part of the building becomes vacant. The obvious result is that the main gym won't be built until all tenants move. The greater distraction is that you won't have permanent classrooms for another three months."

"How many times do we have to move?" asked Jean.

"Three times." I displayed a chart that showed construction timelines and pointed out the timelines for the classrooms.

"How about we take the students on an extended field trip during this time," offered Jean. "So when they come back, they have a new and improved classroom."

"Without students or Pokémon in the building the construction crews can work around the clock," added Zoey.

"Okay; where are you going to take them?" asked Yuki.

"I'll put something together… Let's go to Johto. We can visit the Unown ruins and the Slowpoke Well. Chase for ghosts in the Sprout Tower."

"Is this a Pokémon catching safari?" I asked.

"There is plenty of history and culture in Johto for the students to absorb," argued Jean.

"Absorb…" I pondered.

"Psst…focus," whispered Yuki.

"Ah yes, the big surprise. Ladies and gentleman, I am proud to present to you this." The next slides were the latest sketches from the architect:

1: Side view of the MUGI building with trees growing on the roof.

2: Top view showing the garden spaces.

3: Second top view that showed where the apartments and dormitory would be located.

4: Elevation view of a two story apartment.

"Can you explain what's going on for those of us that can't read minds?" asked Zoey.

"Company housing," I offered.

"I have to take my work home with me? I don't have any mental privacy at work."

"Mental privacy at home will be ensured by the same psychic shielding we developed for Hugh."

"How about visual privacy? What happens when I go out drinking with friends and come home late? Will all our students and their parents know? What will that say about the gym's image? I thought that you were the mistress of privacy and secrets?"

I stood with my mouth hanging open. Eventually I said, "Let me get back to you on that."

"Will we have to pay rent sensei?" asked Jean.

"No."

Zoey quietly weighed the loss of privacy with free rent. Ivan also liked the idea of saving a good portion of his paycheck.

"Jean, I hope that in a few days you can give me an itinerary for the fieldtrip. Please don't spend all of my money. Zoey and Ivan would you two come up with a list of privacy and security measures that we can use with this apartment and dorm scenario? I don't want there to be so much privacy that the children disappear."

"Now I need to call this meeting over because I've got a class to go to. Bye."

The class was in Kiyo's Dojo. So were three of my gym's students: Thomas, Sarah and Josh, with their two Meditites, Medicham and my Gallade.

We had some basic instructions about punching and kicking. Later the Meditites were sparring against Hitmonchan. Medicham's partner was Hitmonlee, while my Gallade was sparring with Lucario again.

"Master Kiyo?"

"Yes Miss Sabrina?"

"You mentioned that the power for a punch comes up from the ground. If a Pokémon can levitate can we not use that?"

Kiyo replied, "The classic types of kicks to use with your levitation are Jump Kick and High Jump Kick. What is the risk of these attacks?"

"If the Pokémon misses, they take damage instead," I answered.

"So what we need are crash pads, but the only things in storage are yoga mats and tumbling pads," admitted Master Kiyo. "Miss Sabrina?"

I shook my head.

"So until we get crash pads, or a sandy beach, we'll practice the basics," announced Kiyo. As the others resumed their practice, Kiyo asked me, "Where do I get crash pads?"

"I've already made an online purchase against your gym account."

"Just like that?"

"As soon as I said it your mind flashed your login account name and password; pick something less obvious."

Perhaps my restlessness was an aftereffect of Pokérus, but I decided to spar with Master Kiyo and my Gallade.

"Sensei?" asked Josh.

"Because my Pokémon repeats the same action I feel compelled to do the same thing," I explained.

"Because you're psychic," he concluded.

"Because I'm Gallade's trainer," I corrected.

When class finished, I stayed behind. "How does it feel to be a gym leader again?"

"Different," shrugged Kiyo as he gave Lucario a rubdown.

I was trying some kicks while levitating.

"How does it feel not to be a gym leader?" he teased.

"For your information I am preparing for a gym battle."

"?"

"There is a trainer from Sinnoh named Paul who needs to be taught several harsh lessons about Pokémon," I explained.

"You're going to battle his Pokémon personally?"

"I'm going to make it a two-on-two battle. I'll be with Gallade."

"But why do you have to battle?"

"Paul is harsh with his Pokémon and will sacrifice others for a win for himself. I want to show his Pokémon the double standard that they live under."

"It sounds dangerous. Someone like that wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice you for their ambition."

"That makes this a two-on-three battle. I feel it is important to have Gallade in the battle with me. But I'll respect your opinion as a gym leader; if you think that Gallade shouldn't battle, I'll pick another."

Kiyo stammered a little, "W-w-w what kind of opposition is there?"

We went to Kiyo's computer and I showed him how to access Pokémon League records for Paul's statistics. After reading reports on various battles, Master Kiyo concluded, "His strategy does change for each battle. I see in a protracted six-on-six battle he'll use Toxic Spikes, but in some battles he'll go for a type advantage and try for one hit knock outs. That does make it harder to predict how he'll react to you. I mean how he'll react to battling you directly."

"Since it is an advanced gym battle, he knows that I'll use Psychic Pokémon and possibly Ghost Pokémon." I pointed to several entries and comment, "He sent in Pokémon with type disadvantages before."

"Those were 'sacrifices'," concluded Kiyo. "Those Pokémon could inflict a condition based upon physical contact, or their power increased when they took damage. Your signature Pokémon, Alakazam, is known for its Special Attacks, so Magmortar's Flame Body is out. Sleep and Confusion are the most common effects from psychic attacks, so I doubt Hariyama would be chosen."

"He does have a thing for Dark Pokémon."

"Drapion, Honchkrow and Weavile have all been used before. If you send out Gallade first I doubt he'll use Weavile. It would either be Honchkrow for a quick battle or Drapion for a protracted battle. I think that he'll pick one of his veteran Dark Pokémon, the other one will be a surprise."

"I don't like surprises," I admitted.

Master Kiyo gave me a sideways glance.

"It means that my abilities weren't sensitive enough to warn me," I explained.

"That's why he'll do it. The second Pokémon will not be on this list."

"What about Froslass with her Snow Cloak ability?" I asked.

"Is his Froslass stronger than yours?"

"Probably not."

"He likes Dark Pokémon that have a second type that covers their weakness. The worse case is that he gets a Dark/Ghost Pokémon with no weaknesses."

"A Spiritomb with its Pressure would hurt in a long battle by wearing out our strong attacks."

"You may need to swallow your pride."

"What?"

"You don't use stat boosting moves because your Pokémon have strong abilities."

"So if we build our power levels, pressure won't apply and we can overcome type disadvantages. Doesn't Gallade learn Swords Dance?"

"Yes, but I'd like to recommend Bulk Up so we can cover Gallade's low defense. What move will you use?"

"Me?"

"You are a powerful human psychic and I know that you can beat Fighting Pokémon. Don't assume that Paul will give you any advantage. If you want to beat his Pokémon, you can't afford to measure yourself by human standards. You need to measure yourself by Pokémon standards. This battle will be about you overcoming yourself."

"When did you Fighting Gym Leaders get so philosophical?" I teased.

"We've always have been this way. You just don't leave us conscious long enough to find out. You may be able to power through gym battles, but you may not be ready for dark philosophy: winning is everything. Torment, Sucker Punch, Bite, Assurance…: these are attacks that bend the rules and use your advantages against you."

"Do you have a suggestion?"

"Give him a surprise, or two. Psychic Pokémon have as many tricks as the Dark types."

"More," I corrected.

"Then on your own time, I suggest you pick one. Now come with me."

I followed Kiyo to the weight room. "This is where we explore the other surprise."

"Excuse me?" I could have read his mind, but out of respect, and perhaps modesty, I kept my thoughts to myself.

"You surprised Chuck so much with your physical strength that he fell off the roof."

"I still don't know how that happened."

"That doesn't matter. What matters is how strong you are and is it enough to power a physical move that Paul doesn't expect."

So I spent the next hour on the weight machines, while Kiyo made notes. "I believe that you have lost some strength since you broke tiles at Chuck's gym," he commented while checking his charts. "You're not at Machamp levels of strength, but you would do well arm wrestling a Medicham."

"I hope you don't expect too much of me. I've got Aura Sphere and Psychic and I need to learn Nasty Plot, or something. Like a Pokémon I am limited to four attacks, if I want to use them in battle. It can take me from five minutes to an hour to remember a move. Sometimes if I turn off my bracelets, I gain ghost attacks; but it's like I'm possessed. When I regain control, my other abilities are temporarily out of order."

"That's disappointing."

"More like 'scary'," I added.

"If Paul uses Dark Pokémon, then Ghost attacks won't fare much better. What kinds of attacks have you done, outside of Psychic, Ghost and Fighting?"

"None."

"Have you tried?"

"No, have you?" Kiyo gave me a dirty look. "I mean you've been around Fighting Pokémon and their attacks like Ice Punch, have you ever considered trying an Ice Punch?"

"I'm not you," he pointed out.

"It has taken me twenty years of training to master about half of the psychic moves. I'm still trying to figure Trick Room. I have an extra-dimensional encounter with Froslass and I need to wear these bracelets so I don't go crazy with ghost attacks. My bracelets later explode. I'm lost for a few days and when I return, I can use Aura Sphere and I have a touch of a headache as I try to reconcile my vision, aura sense, psychic sense and ghost sense."

"So you haven't tried other kinds of attacks?"

I slumped on the weight lifting bench, took a deep breath and said, "No, I haven't."

I heard Kiyo's pencil scratch out more notes. "I think that you could manage an Ice Punch if you used Froslass as a partner."

"But…"

Kiyo cut me off. "You wanted to enter a Pokémon battle. Your opponent is not going to make it easy for you and give you Fighting Pokémon to beat up. If you can't push yourself to find your limits, like a Pokémon, then you will not win. How will that look to your students? Realize that by stepping onto the battlefield you are risking: your health, your status as gym leader and your place on the rules committee."

"Why Ice Punch?" I asked.

"Honchkrow is weak against it," he replied. "If Paul catches a Spiritomb, Ice Punch would still work, and you wouldn't lose momentum by using Miracle Eye. Think about it on your own time. You may have physical abilities at a Pokémon's level, but you still need to learn how to take a punch, how to fall and how to dodge. We should also check your reaction time."

Kiyo led me back to the main room of the dojo. Lucario was waiting. "Payback," growled Kiyo.

"What?"

Lucario used his Extreme Speed to jam his elbow into my stomach. I staggered back.

"No, you've just made yourself a target," scolded Master Kiyo.

Lucario swept my feet out from under me. I fell onto the mat.

"Get up."

"Will this involve teaching or punishment?"

"If you learn, it won't hurt."

"Then at least give me tutors: release your Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee."

"So they can beat you up?" asked Kiyo.

"No, so I can read their minds."

"You want to have Hitmonlee and Hitmonchan watch, and read their minds to compensate for your lack of training and instinct?"

"Yes."

"Can you read minds and process it that quickly?"

"Pushing my limits…"

"Okay, we'll try it your way Sabrina."

I got up and opened my mind to my three judge panel.

Lucario attacked as before. As I reeled back from the Extreme Speed, I could see several alternatives I could have tried. I was on my back, again, before they noted my sloppy follow through.

"It didn't work," barked Kiyo.

The mental consensus was that I should have pivoted and struck back with my elbow.

I stood up.

Lucario looked me over, sensed that I was ready and struck with Extreme Speed again. As his elbow went for my midsection, I pivoted to my right and brought in my elbow. Lucario let his momentum take him forward and he brought his foot up and kicked me in the side.

He used his other foot to catch me from falling forward; unfortunately he put his foot in my stomach.

"That was a little bit better," commented Kiyo. "You should be ready in three years."

"Years?" I wheezed. "I'm going to be ready in three days."

"How?"

"I'm going to cheat." I let my astral form leave my body and entered Lucario's. I picked up my fallen form with Lucario's paws and moved me to a safe corner of the room. Once I had Lucario back in position, I motioned for Hitmonchan to attack.

"This isn't something you can learn with another's body," declared Kiyo.

I went further into Lucario's mind. "What are you doing?" Lucario demanded.

"I need to watch and feel how you battle. I don't have the instinct for it."

"But Master Kiyo is right; you can't learn this through another's body."

"Just try it, please."

I gave Lucario control of his body. The others sensed the change. Lucario gestured for Hitmonchan to spar. So they did.

Instinct, where is it? I shifted my mind to Lucario's aura sense. I could see Hitmonchan's movements and feel the strength of the attacks before they landed. But where was Lucario's conscious self? He wasn't thinking about his attack; rather he thought about his next position and the moves he could make. No, there was another level, or two. Movement potential, attack potential and defense potential: every position that Lucario took would create a different combination of these potentials.

Aura Sphere stance: Attack potential was any direction. There was no defense potential, but movement was in any direction.

Bone Rush stance: His attack reach was longer to his right side than his left. Left flank was defenseless.

Extreme Speed stance: Attack and movement was forward, like a lance from Shogi.

He attacked Hitmonchan with Extreme Speed and missed. No it was a feint. Lucario fell forward and moved his foot to sweep Hitmonchan's legs. Lance became silver. The chance for attack was lost, so silver became lance as Lucario rolled forward.

I shifted my mind to Lucario's perception of Hitmonchan. Each stance that Hitmonchan took was interpreted as a potential move set. Hitmonchan drew back his fist and moved forward. All of Hitmonchan's attack was focused forward like a lance. Lucario moved like a knight to Hitmonchan's right flank. Hitmonchan moved his elbow and transformed from lance to silver.

I was transfixed. It happened so quickly, that I needed them to repeat themselves before I could understand. It wasn't the hitting that was important, that was just the consequence. It was position. Position of the body relative to the opponent determined everything.

Hitmonchan became a lance. Lucario moved to Hitmonchan's flank. Hitmonchan went silver and attacked backward with his elbow, but Lucario attacked straight back as a gold with his foot.

I removed my astral form from Lucario and entered Hitmonchan's mind. Hitmonchan would think of at most two forms: silver and lance. Lance was for attacks and silver was defense or counter attack. When Hitmonchan got in close, his mind was coordinating two games, one for each fist. Rapid jabs, hooks, uppercuts and blocks; I couldn't process what he was doing without a second mind.

Each position of his fist and arm determined attack potential and blocking potential. When I tried to focus on his perception of his right fist, there were at least a dozen potentials based upon his wrist.

"Hey! Are you going to sleep or work?" barked Kiyo.

I turned my attention towards him. Unfortunately I turned Hitmonchan's attention and he got hit in the stomach. I returned my mind to my real body.

"Did you learn anything that you can use in your real body?" he asked.

Shogi is also called General's Chess. Kiyo's ancestors were generals, but mine were royalty. Not kings, but queens. The queen: she moves anywhere, attacks anywhere, but always in a straight line. Before I can adopt a second role, I need to understand this one.

I returned to the center of the room and gave a short bow to Lucario.

I opened myself to my psychic senses. Lucario was a steel type, so his thoughts were masked better than regular fighting types. I was ready.

Lucario charged with Extreme Speed. I psychically pushed him off course. He tried to connect with his outstretched leg. I floated out of range.

Lucario was off balance from his missed attack, so he rolled onto his shoulder. When he returned to his feet, he had his Bone Rush ready. He charged not in a straight line. When I was ready to push him off course, he was already turned in another direction.

I pushed him directly away from me.

As he skidded backwards, he formed an Aura Sphere.

I pulled my psychic energy in close. Lucario launched the sphere. I braced for the impact. Before I could recover from the Aura Sphere, Lucario had his elbow in my stomach, again. I retaliated with a Psychic attack to Lucario's mind.

Lucario grinned through the pain and so did I.

"Who said it was break time?" barked Kiyo.

Lucario and I took our places and we sparred again. This time he didn't connect until the fifth move.

"Don't get cocky. Lucario, I think you should speed it up."

Lucario had his foot in my stomach with his first move. I doubled over.

What was missing? Lucario may have been holding back his speed, but what was I missing? I can attack from a distance. Lucario can attack from a distance, but when he sparred with Hitmonchan, he used close in attacks? Why is a long range attack worse than a short range attack? Why is Lucario's long range attack not appropriate for Hitmonchan's speed? Not just speed, but speed and power. What is that horrible smell? Answer: the horrible, ammonia burn of smelling salts.

I opened my eyes. My head was in Kiyo's lap. "Those things stink," I commented.

"Are you okay?"

"I was just thinking."

"I'm thinking you've had enough for today. Should I call a doctor, or a taxi?"

I grinned.

"Should I call a lawyer?"

"No, I'll be fine. Just don't drop my head on the floor when you get up."

He set my head down gently.

"Do you mind if I just lie here and think about things?"

"Um, sure," replied Kiyo. "Do you want the lights off?"

"Yes, thank you."

I beat his Pokémon before. Surely I must have gotten stronger since then. Did I reach a limit and Lucario passed me? Lucario is a steel type, so he has more mental shielding than Hitmonchan, but it shouldn't be that much more. It must be the infighting skill. Psychic: what do I not realize about this attack? I should be able to attack and defend in any direction, and I did. But I didn't attack and defend fast enough. It wasn't strength that I lacked, but speed. The faster I can deliver that psychic strength, the more power I'll have.

[Vibrate: incoming message] "We're going out for noodles. Yuki"

Ice Punch: Maybe I can do it. Perhaps I should go with Shadow Punch or Shadow Claw. Shadow Punch doesn't miss. That'd be useful. If Paul has a Spiritomb, Shadow Claw would be just as effective as Ice Punch.

[Vibrate: incoming message] "We're leaving. Yuki"

In the distance I heard the running water of a shower. It had to be Kiyo and his Pokémon. One male human and three male, human shape Pokémon. This was the beginning of a really, really bad idea.

[Vibrate: incoming message] "We're on the subway. Yuki"

How did I win against Kiyo's Pokémon before? Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee are known for their high level of special defense. A Bullet Punch or a Mach Punch should have stopped me in one move. Did he let me win? Were his actions in the battle the result of history and family obligation, so he just let me win? I did beat Chuck's Poliwrath, but that was after the Pokérus episode. I battled Froslass before the Pokérus. That felt like a win. But it was a slug fest; I didn't block or dodge her attacks.

[Vibrate: incoming message] "We're leaving the subway. Yuki"

[Input: activate warptile for reception. Location: saved list: Yoshida's]

I felt the path to the warptile open and teleported. The floor of the warptile wasn't as soft as the mats of the dojo. I tried to roll over, but I was very sore. Instead I psychically picked myself up. "Mr. Mime, this is Sabrina. Do you have a table open for a party of four or five?"

"Mime…Mime!"

I teleported to the restaurant and folded myself onto one of the chairs.

"Sensei!" cheered Sonny with a wave. "Where is the rest of your team?"

"Probably on the elevator."

"You just couldn't wait for my noodles, eh?"

"Of course!"

"See I told you she'd get here before us," commented Yuki.

"Are you showing off again boss?" asked Zoey.

"Milady?"

"I'm really stiff and sore from training in the dojo," I explained.

"Really?" asked Jean accusingly.

I took a peek down my gi. I flashed them a glimpse of my stomach.

"Oh my gawd," groaned Jean.

"Black, blue, purple and red," listed Zoey. "Who beat you up?"

"Lucario."

"Can you eat?" asked Yuki.

"I think Sonny has that taken care of," I replied.

I watched Sonny use his chef's knife more in the next five minutes than I've seen him use it in the last year. The result was, "Chanko: a high protein meal designed to speed healing and put on muscle," declared Sonny as he served it. Thankfully it was a large enough bowl, so that after everyone else stole a spoonful, I still had something left to swallow.

"So, do you let Pokémon beat you up for a reason?" asked Zoey

"Kiyo had doubts about my ability to battle. Lucario proved the point."

"I'm still not following," admitted Zoey.

"Sabrina wants to battle Paul's Pokémon directly," admitted Yuki.

"What?" Zoey held her pint of beer, unsure whether she should be sober or not. "Paul is a ruthless trainer and battler. He'll send his Pokémon in to cut you to shreds and stomp all over you. Why would you put yourself through that?"

"He sodomized my Gallade back when he was a Kirlia," I whispered. "I want his Pokémon to know how cruel Paul really is and the double standard he imposes on them."

"Don't you think that after ten years they haven't figured that out? Just because his Pokémon are not psychic types doesn't mean that they're stupid. I've seen Paul's Pokémon battle and they are as cruel and sadistic as he is. There's nothing to be gained by battling them."

"Did you guys rehearse this on the subway?" I asked.

"Sort of," confessed Jean.

"I just asked Zoey a lot of questions about Paul," confessed Yuki.

"Milady, please, just issue a condemnation with the Pokémon League," begged Ivan.

"You blocked Gallade's memory of the event," added Yuki.

"That isn't enough. If he did it to any of you, would it be enough for me to block your memory? Could you trust me, if you had doubts that something like this happened to you?"

Zoey grew cold and drank her beer. Something like this did happen to her and I did block her memory.

"If Paul did this to a human, then that would be a crime and he would go to jail. But because he did it to a Pokémon and there were no humans as witness, he stays free." I was going flush with anger so I directed that anger into healing the bruises.

Zoey put down here drink and said, "Taking on Paul in a battle won't settle anything."

"If it's any conciliation, I think Kiyo is having his Pokémon beat me up to prove that. Since this whole crazy thing is about trust, I'm trusting Kiyo, Yuki and the rest of you: on the day of the battle, if you think that I'm not ready then stop me."

"There's a catch isn't there?" asked Zoey.

"You have to let me do the best that I can to train and be ready."

"Well if training involves letting our Pokémon beat you up to prove that you're crazy, I'm in," replied Zoey. She lifted her beer and toasted, "Here's to beating the crap out of our boss!"

Several patrons of the noodle shop cheered, "Kanpai!"

"That's not what she had in mind," offered Jean.

Zoey finished her beer and gestured for a second, "I know, but that's what she's going to get. Paul is a cruel, heartless bastard. He's not going to call you, 'sensei', and he's not going to look up to you. I hope you're ready."

I looked at Ivan and Jean. I flashed them the cold, stern look of my youth.

"Milady can be cruel and heartless, but I'd never call her a bastard," admitted Ivan.

"A bitch perhaps," offered Jean. She flinched when I flashed my evil eyes.

Maybe this is what I forgot in Kiyo's dojo: that ruthless need to win. Was I like Paul when I was young? Does Paul push his Pokémon like I pushed myself? If I become like him, what would it prove?

"Sabrina?" asked Yuki as she tapped me on the shoulder.

"Sorry, I was just lost in thought."

"Sonny wants to know if you want a to-go bucket for the soup."

"Yes please."

"We're going shopping, care to join us?" asked Jean.

"I've got a lot on my mind. I think I'll go back to the gym and work it out."

"Ahem, the gym…," coughed Ivan.

So I restated, "I think I'll go look into the crater that was the gym, and work things out. See you tomorrow."

I found Alakazam's thoughts and teleported to her side. She was meditating in the portable office. "We'll have nicer facilities soon enough."

She gave me an accusatory stare, "…!"

"You're right, I'll take everyone home tonight, there's no need to stay here." I found a spare pair of shoes, put them on and took Alakazam for a walk to the grounds of the old mansion which was on the other side of the construction area.

"Zam?"

"Remember playing here when you were an Abra?"

She nodded.

I mentally played out what I wanted to do to Paul. "What do you think?"

Her main question was, "If Gallade doesn't remember being raped by Paul, why should it have revenge?"

"You would prefer that a more experienced Pokémon fight alongside me?"

A valid point since as a Pokémon, I was the least experienced. I recalled a tea party with Abra when we were both small yet wearing big, fancy and silly hats. The tea was mud, but we pretended otherwise. "That's something Gallade never had with Paul: fun."

"Then let Gallade have fun," argued Alakazam.

"Master Kiyo is training Gallade and Zoey offered to send for her Gallade as a practice partner. If Kiyo believes that Gallade is not ready, I'll choose a different Pokémon. But there is something inside my mind that compels me to battle. Will you spar with me? Will you be honest and tell me if I'm ready?"

Alakazam nodded.

I readied an Aura Sphere. Alakazam teleported. I opened my senses and chased her with the Aura Sphere. She teleported so I was between the Aura Sphere and her. I let the sphere continue in a straight path, and teleported it to Alakazam. She didn't even flinch from the impact.

Then Alakazam did something for the first time in our lives. She teleported in front of me and punched me in the stomach. I doubled over. "Zam."

She mentally recalled the last dozen times that she was physically struck in a gym battle.

I staggered back.

She shielded all of her thoughts from me as she clenched her fists and stalked me.

"Where is your fight? Where is your lust for battle and revenge?" The thoughts rattled around in my head. I covered my ears with my hands and voice grew fainter. My Pokétch bracelets were pressed against my cheeks.

[User Input: disengage ghost field dampers. Are you sure? (yes/no): yes]

The voice in my head said, "Free." It wasn't Alakazam's thoughts that were intruding; it was a part of my personality that I suppressed.

Alakazam was struck by an Ominous Wind. She retaliated with Signal Beam. My mind and body burned as if I was stung by thousands of insects. I lost control of my body as if I was in a dream. I sensed a wicked smile on my lips and a replay of every cruel thought that I've suppressed. Another Ominous Wind sprang forth, but spread out as if pushed along by invisible wings. The grass wilted. The trees moaned as their leaves browned. I wanted to scream for Alakazam to flee. My body was getting drunk on the power.

Alakazam teleported high into the air.

The maelstrom that surrounded my body was angry at losing its prey; so it seethed and spun in ever smaller circles until it formed a twister of darkness that reached up for Alakazam. But she wasn't there, she was behind me. She struck with a point blank Signal Beam.

The dark twister dissipated, but Alakazam didn't relent. The pain was maddening. I jammed my elbow into Alakazam's stomach.

She asked which mind was in charge.

Something smelled funny.

There was a large burn hole in the back of my gi.

"How did I do?"

Alakazam shook her head as she synchronized with me and shared a Recover.

"That bad?"

Alakazam explained that I was of two minds. One mind had discipline, the other had instinct and power. Unless both work together, I won't win in a real Pokémon battle.

[User Input: engage ghost field dampers. Are you sure? (yes/no): yes]

Alakazam shook her head again and pointed to my Pokétch.

"I lost control in that battle. I…I have to overcome myself," I admitted. "Were you using full strength Signal Beams?"

Alakazam indicated they were three-fourths of full power.

"Was that Nasty Plot that I used?"

Alakazam agreed.

"Master Kiyo said I should swallow my pride and consider a stat boosting move. So we can choose from: Nasty Plot, Swords Dance, Calm Mind, Bulk Up or Cosmic Power."

Alakazam snickered as she imagined me bulked up.

I struck a few bodybuilder poses.

She laughed and imagined me using Bulk Up on my breasts.

"Yuki would be so jealous," I laughed. "So let us leave Bulk Up or Swords Dance for Gallade. I can do Nasty Plot, sort of. I doubt that Paul will give me a second chance to use it; he may not give me a first chance."

Alakazam offered an image of me with a Solrock headdress as I used Cosmic Power.

"I know that you want me to be safe, but Paul isn't above using poison or burns to wear down his opponent."

Alakazam poked the wilted grass with her foot.

"I've never seen Ominous Wind used that way before."

She raised an eyebrow and twitched her whiskers.

"Okay, I don't recall seeing Ominous Wind be used that way before. Perhaps when I disappeared in Sinnoh, I used Ominous Wind and learned Aura Sphere. But I can't remember doing that."

She suggested that I work with Drowzee.

"I did that when I came home."

But maybe Nasty Plot could be the bridge we didn't find before.

That evening, after all the Pokémon were fed and resting in their Pokéballs, I took Drowzee to a quiet and shielded room in the tower. "Today I sparred with Alakazam. I lost control of myself and used Nasty Plot and Ominous Wind. Let's try making a connection with Nasty Plot, maybe that will unlock some of my memories."

As we meditated, I saw glimpses of Drowzee's anger: he was lost in the wilderness, attacked by trainers but never captured; a rung on their ladder to success, to be stepped on. He was passed over at Melanie's house by Ash Ketchem. He was even frustrated at the gym as newer Pokémon like Alakazam and Gallade get all the attention.

I was getting concerned about Drowzee's feelings, but I realized that his list of grievances was short as he repeated himself.

Later a new thought was mixed in with Drowzee's Nasty Plot: his crazy trainer. I tried to see through his mind and into my own. He was viewing my obsessions with power and control. He tried to examine every detail for a hint of my lost memory, but he exhausted himself.

I exited my meditation; Drowzee was passed out so I recalled him to his Pokéball and staggered off to bed.

"Where have you been?" asked Yuki.

"Training," I mumbled. I had a faceful of pillow.

"In whose bed?"

"I had Drowzee look for my lost memory. No luck."

Yuki helped me out of my street clothes.

"What is this; a giant hickey?"

"I took a point blank Signal Beam. It itches like crazy. Oh that is cold." Yuki poured massage oil on the welt. She worked it into my upper back, legs and neck. Every sore spot that I could think of, she read and worked.

She laid her naked body on my back. While her legs caressed mine, and her hands were teasing their way to my breasts, she whispered in my ear, "I bet Mewtwo doesn't give massages like this."

"Of course, he doesn't understand the physiology and the oil gets…Aaahhakkk," Yuki cut me off by pressing her elbow into my back.

"I'm sorry; you were saying?"

"No one gives massages like you," I answered with a sigh.

"Don't you forget it," ordered Yuki before she nibbled on my ear.


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Almost Back to Normal

Part 2

Early morning, early to people like Yuki who would sleep till noon if they had the chance; I couldn't get back to sleep with all the things on my mind from the day before. As I was feeding the Pokémon their breakfast, Yuki shuffled in and asked, "Who hit you with Signal Beam?"

"I was training with Alakazam." I put a bag of ice on Drowzee's head. "Are you okay?"

He nodded and thought, "Compared to you."

I patted his icepack. The babies Eevee and Gastly didn't want to eat their food, but play with everyone else and their food. Spoink's pearl fell twice into his food bowl. Poliwag balanced a bowl of food on her tail as she set off to find Ralts and get him to eat.

"She's taking her big sister role seriously," I commented to Yuki.

Haunter grabbed Gastly and pretended to eat her.

"Haunter doesn't take anything seriously. While we're on the subject of being serious; how hard are you going to push yourself today?" asked Yuki.

I met Natu's gaze and replied, "Paul is coming for a battle soon. I need to be ready."

"You really want to battle his Pokémon personally?"

"Yes."

"Is there any point in trying to stop you?"

"Sure, but you need a good reason."

"You'll get hurt."

I stopped Eevee in mid tackle with the bottom of my foot. "Yes. But if I don't go, then one my Pokémon will get hurt. This is the point: he doesn't care if his Pokémon get hurt and would never take their place."

"I hope the students don't get the message to be reckless."

Espeon telekinetically dragged Eevee to his breakfast. She looked more disappointed by my decision than Eevee's actions.

Yuki went back to bed to steal a few more minutes of sleep.

I went to the gym, correction: where the gym was there was a large pit and some concrete was being poured in. Where the gym will be, there was a moving company for one of the tenants. So I went to a portable office near Master Kiyo's dojo.

The sun hadn't come up yet, so I took Drowzee to a quiet corner of the castle grounds to practice Nasty Plot without success. It was like Drowzee had a switch in his mind that he could flick and the power just wells up, but I couldn't find the switch, or subconsciously, didn't want to use it.

Opening time came, but I couldn't use Nasty Plot without losing control of myself first.

"Drow, zee zee," commented my Pokémon.

He stared at my eyes as I pushed my psychic energy.

He nodded.

"Yuki said my eyes did this before I disappeared, and I'm sure they did it when I was younger."

Drowzee suggested that we warn Yuki.

"It adds to the spooky factor. Now let's get to work."

At the dojo my staff had a morning meeting with Master Kiyo.

"How's my Gallade doing?" I asked.

"Thanks to Zoey's Gallade and Lucario, he is making a lot of progress," commented Kiyo.

"Thank you Zoey and thank your Gallade," I saluted them with my cup of tea.

"I was afraid that my psychic Pokémon wouldn't measure up to your standards," replied Zoey.

"Nonsense; if you have healthy and happy psychic Pokémon you meet our standards," stated Jean. "But if you have a psychic Pokémon stronger than sensei, watch your back."

"What's that suppose to mean, Miss Jean?"

"She means that you're no better than little Eevee," teased Yuki.

"Zoey Sensei, will your students be ready for the New Year's Pokémon Contest?" asked Jean.

"Only if they and their Pokémon work hard," replied Zoey. "They all have potential, but potential doesn't win contests."

"Nor does it win gym battles," added Kiyo. He guarded his thoughts from the others.

"Then I need to turn my potential in something tangible," I replied. "Since I don't have a gym for battles, I guess I'm free this morning. Alakazam, would you join me for more training?"

We returned to where we battled the day before. A light mist started to come down.

"I'm lowering the dampening field to a tenth. Maybe that will give me a little bit of control."

I tried to do Nasty Plot, but nothing happened. I focused my mind on my contempt for Paul; still nothing.

"I'm missing something."

Alakazam gave me a look that meant, "Duh."

I tried to plot a host of cruel punishments for Paul: whipping, bondage and humiliation.

Alakazam gave a polite cough.

"Were my thoughts easy to read?"

She gave me a deep nod.

"Perhaps I need some thoughts that are rated PG?"

I imagined Paul stepping on Toxic Spikes, burnt by Flamethrower and wracked by the sting of countless Signal Beams.

…Nothing. I shrugged.

Alakazam imagined that my Pokétch were shackles placed on the old me.

"But if I turned them off, I lost all control."

She nodded. She imagined me putting the shackles on the old me.

"It is about control isn't it? With Calm Mind we get a greater control over ourselves. Nasty Plot is about losing control; being savage."

Alakazam nodded in agreement.

"Is it worth it?" I pondered.

She shrugged.

"Drowzee can use Nasty Plot, but he doesn't lose control."

Alakazam twitched her whiskers.

"True, he's not messed up or jaded, like me."

Alakazam raised both of her spoons up to my eye level. I looked in and saw my reflection. She distorted one image until I looked feral. The other spoon showed my image morph into my grandmother.

I smiled. "If you put it that way, then Nasty Plot is out." I mulled it over. "If Gallade uses Bulk Up, he'll gain defense. If I use Calm Mind, I'll gain special defense. We can shield each other."

She raised an eyebrow at the word, "shield." Alakazam prepared her Signal Beam.

I closed my eyes, emptied my thoughts, and focused on my grandmother's strength. No matter the calamity that I caused, she was calm and in control.

Control: Control your mind and you control your body.

Pain is a thing of the mind.

Push back the harmful energy with defensive energy.

Yin and Yang: attack and defend. Separate the defense from offense. Armor and sword.

I knew that Alakazam was using Signal Beam and I had a sense of how long I could resist it. I opened my eyes. Alakazam punched me in the stomach. "In the same spot? Is this some conspiracy of cruelty?"

Alakazam asked if Paul had psychic Pokémon.

"No. He likes to use dark Pokémon," I replied.

Alakazam mentally recalled getting hit by Sucker Punch and Faint Attack in gym battles.

I rubbed my stomach and said, "You're not the only one to make that point."

She gestured for me to punch her, but then she blocked me with her crossed spoons.

"I don't have spoons," I pointed out.

Mockingly, Alakazam levitated into the air, looked down her nose at me and waved her arms wide.

"I don't get that pompous, do I?"

She thought about how open and vulnerable her stomach was. She levitated back to the ground and took Lucario's Aura Sphere stance. Her hands were guarding her stomach like a trap.

"Kiyo did say that I should learn Ice Punch or some kind of physical attack. I thought that Shadow Punch would be a good choice, if I can resolve the ghost damper/suppressed personality issue."

Alakazam suggested that Haunter would be a good tutor for that.

"And it would get him out of the way of the others." I returned to the office and searched for Haunter. He was at the construction site causing mischief. "Come on, we've got work to do."

"Haunt?"

"I need you to teach me Shadow Punch."

His joy and enthusiasm scared me.

"Not here." I levitated away and Haunter followed. "Now, after all these years at the gym, how good are you as a teacher?"

Haunter put on hand on his chin and thought. The other hand punched me in the stomach. True he didn't do it hard, but that spot was getting really tender.

"I've had better lessons."

"Haunt, haunt," he laughed.

"I don't have time for jokes, this is important."

Haunter shook his head.

"An important battle is going to happen soon and I need to learn this."

Haunter agreed to that, but disagreed on the idea of not having fun. He then spent five minutes, a paper-snake-in-a-can, two buckets of whitewash and a pie to the face to explain that having fun was very important to learning Shadow Punch, because Shadow Punch is the unexpected attack. It can't be blocked because ghosts can go through things and it can be dodged because it comes from the shadows were it's not expected.

I wiped the custard from my face with my sleeve. "Okay, sensei, that's a good explanation of the philosophy. So how do I do it?"

Haunter took my hand into his. He reached in past the flesh and tugged on my astral form. He placed his other hand on my chest to keep my astral form in my body and to stretch out my astral hand.

"That hurts."

Haunter stopped and pointed to my bracelets.

"I don't like turning them off."

"Haunter?"

"I lose control and do bad things."

"Haunter!" he cheered.

"That's not a good thing," I corrected. "I was attacking Alakazam with Ominous Wind. I killed the grass and hurt the trees."

"Haunt," concluded my Pokémon. 'Bad things' meant acting like Froslass and not acting like Haunter.

"You do bad things too. I suppose we could call it naughty."

Haunter nodded his head vigorously and implied that I should take after Gastly, Haunter and Gengar and not Froslass.

"She is the first ghost Pokémon I've had that doesn't act like you clowns," I observed. "Even Rotom has more of a silly streak than a cruel streak."

Haunter wanted to go and he tugged on my arm.

"Where are we going?"

Answer: His home in Lavender Town.

As I flew after Haunter, I sent a message to Yuki, "Going to Lavender Town for special training."

Lavender Town is a relatively quiet and somber place. But Lavender Tower, Haunter's old home, is a creepy, gloomy place, on the outside. Most of the inside too, except where the ghosts play with each other. That room was bright, full of toys and their video collection of simple, pratfall comedies.

"Do we have to watch them?"

Haunter gave me a stern look and rapped a ruler on the table.

Gastly laughed.

They also laughed at the simplest of jokes, such as touching a person on the wrong shoulder and getting them to look the other way.

Haunter insisted that I act out that part. So I touched him on the shoulder.

Gastly rolled his eyes. Haunter tugged on my astral hand.

"Okay, you asked for it."

[User Input: disengage ghost field dampers. Are you sure? (yes/no): yes]

I lost track of time as I was forced to act out every, stupid skit; sometimes three or four times: Tripping with an astral foot, tapping with an astral hand, pulling out chairs with astral hands, moving custard pies with an astral hand, groping with an astral hand, placing whoopee cushions with astral hands, tying shoelaces together with astral hands (that I'll admit is really challenging).

When I thought I had had enough, Gastly pointed out that I had been practicing for five hours. Haunter mentioned that I hadn't gone crazy and attacked anything.

"Okay, I'll admit that I feel like I'm in control. So is Shadow Punch just hitting you with an astral fist?"

The two ghosts backed away.

"I wasn't going to try it on you guys. I think that there are some fighting Pokémon that deserve some payback."

Haunter and Gastly agreed.

"Thanks guys. Haunter, maybe you should stay here awhile and not cause trouble at the construction site."

Gastly looked excited.

"That doesn't mean that you take his place. Honestly, do you always look to cause trouble?"

The both nodded deeply.

I sighed.

Haunter put on his long, black wig, which he does if he really wants to mock me. He levitated some objects and teleported about the room. Gastly mimicked Haunter, but used ghost techniques instead.

"So your pranks are just practice?"

They agreed.

Haunter used his astral hands to pull out a chair. He then moved to the other side of the room and reached further to pull on the sofa.

Gastly rearranged items on the table, and then moved the whole table.

"So if you've really gotten strong, I should expect to find the portable office moved."

Haunter honked a horn.

"I shouldn't expect it because it will be a prank."

Haunter honked twice.

Gastly snickered.

I looked from Haunter to their shelf of movies. "You can actually talk, but you use charades instead, because it's funny."

"Certainly!" exclaimed Haunter.

"Did you just say, 'Certainly'?"

Haunter manipulated his horn to say, "I dunno."

"If I find that you make prank calls with my phone system, you are going to be in so much trouble. That does not mean 'do it and don't get caught'. I am so having Ivan look over our phone bills and records."

Haunter looked so sad he almost melted into the floor.

"You did, didn't you?"

He smiled and winked.

"Okay you guys got me." I gave each a kiss on the head and left for home. I pulled the 'kick me' sign off my back before I had left Lavender Town. Five hours of training meant that I missed lunch with the gym. I activated the warptile at home and went there for a quick bite, and a change of clothes. As I went through my closet, changed clothes, grabbed some food from the fridge and played with the babies, I tried to use my astral hands for as much as possible.

"Espeon?"

"I'm trying Shadow Punch," I explained. I ate my rice balls with one hand and teased the Pokémon with the ghost hand.

"Es?"

"Yes, it still itches. But after training with Gastly and Haunter for five hours, I didn't go crazy once."

"Gardevoir, gar," commented my other Pokémon as she shook her head.

"True, just being in the same room as those two for five hours would make anyone crazy."

"Gen?" asked Gengar as he came in from the garden.

"Case in point."

The mother Pokémon shared a laugh with me.

I tried to tap Gengar on the wrong shoulder with my astral hand.

Gengar obliged by looking the wrong way. The little ones laughed. Gengar gave me a small applause.

"So far I've been pulling pranks. How much work is it to turn it into a full Shadow Punch?"

Gengar punched the sofa from three meters away with his Shadow Punch.

"Okay, find something and punch it. But, none of us are going to practice our attacks on the furniture, are we?" I asked the baby Pokémon directly.

They shook their heads 'no'.

"Good. Then I'll go back to the… portable office building next to the crater that was the gym. Be good."

If the new gym had a cafeteria, I could do a lot better than rice balls and day old bento for lunch. The afternoon went by with no incident, other than all of us crammed into Kiyo's dojo, the portable office, or training Pokémon outside in the growing chill of winter.

I borrowed two of Kiyo heavier dumbbells, to practice my Shadow Punch.

"Sensei," asked Hugh when he saw me outside.

"I'm practicing," I replied.

"But that isn't psychic," he noted.

"Correct. Can you tell what kind of energy I am using to move these weights?"

"Um." Being one of the youngest students didn't help his thinking speed. But he could be very insightful. "Ghost?"

"Very good. Yes, this is ghost energy that I am using. Now I need you to do me a big favor: I need you to keep this a secret."

"Why?"

"Because I need this to be a surprise for Master Kiyo and his Pokémon."

"Okay."

Hugh's Sableye cackled a comment.

"Sableye says you look like Haunter."

"Can you tell me why I look like Haunter?"

The two had a quiet conversation. Almost anything to do with Hugh was quiet.

"Because you use your arms and hands like a ghost," concluded Hugh.

"Good observation. I asked Haunter to teach me how to do Shadow Punch, so I'm doing it like he would. Can Gastly learn Shadow Punch?"

"Uh…"

"Look it up," I prompted.

Hugh opened his Pokédex and searched. I switched from throwing punches to tossing and catching the dumbbells. My arms grew stiff before Hugh returned an answer. "No, but Haunter can at level 25."

I put the weights down. "There is a problem if Haunter teaches me Shadow Punch."

"Problem?"

"Haunter is a very naughty Pokémon, so I was trained to do things like this." I gave Hugh a light tickle with my shadow fingers.

"That's cold," protested Hugh.

"Are you going to laugh?"

"N…n…no."

"How about Sableye?" I turned a shadow tickle on the ghost Pokémon. Sableye cackled with laughter. Hugh squirmed, but refused to laugh. I stopped tickling. "Hugh, you show great self control. Sableye, I think that you just want to have fun. Now go back and play with the others."

"Yes, sensei."

When evening rolled in, and the last of the students left, Yuki stayed behind. "Are you keeping an eye on me?" I asked.

"Yes."

"Fine, then come watch my workout session."

"As long as it's not a work-you-over session," grumbled Yuki as she followed me to the dojo.

We entered the dojo.

Kiyo asked, "Have you returned for a rematch?"

"Yes."

"Are you battling for a badge?" asked Yuki.

"I never did get one the first time," I remarked.

Lucario stepped onto the mat. I took a fighting stance with my left side biased towards my opponent.

"Ready?" asked Kiyo.

I nodded.

"Go!"

Lucario charged again with Extreme Speed. I extended my ghost arm and caught him in the stomach. Lucario barely flinched as he pressed his attack. I let him push against my ghost arm and push me with it. I punched downward with my right Shadow Punch and pushed myself over Lucario.

When Lucario had circled back for another Extreme Speed charge, I had Aura Sphere ready. Lucario used Bone Rush at the last second to absorb some of the damage. I landed on the mat and returned to a fighting stance.

"That's a good start Sabrina," commented Kiyo. "But I always thought that Shadow Punch was wasting potential. Have you developed the sense to use it?"

I changed my stance and let my astral hand reach out for Lucario's big foot. I grabbed with all my strength. Lucario lurched forward and started to trip. I swung my other Shadow Punch as hard as I could for Lucario's back. Lucario hit the mat with a heavy thud.

"I did have Haunter train me," I commented.

"That may be worse," Kiyo laughed.

"What are you two talking about?" asked Yuki.

"Shadow Punch: the best ways to use it are to fight dirty, or pull pranks," I commented as I spanked Yuki on the ass.

She gave a little yelp.

"Why didn't you learn Ice Punch?" asked Kiyo.

"I don't like the cold," I replied. "You said that Shadow Punch is wasted potential."

"If you could throw the punch without broadcasting your intention then your opponent couldn't brace themselves for the attack. You did grasp the idea of tripping; that was the other wasted potential."

"I had a morning of tripping and pie in the face pratfalls training with Haunter."

"Did you practice being sneaky or obvious?"

"Both."

"Good. I'm surprised that Lucario was caught off guard."

Lucario barked a commentary.

"He said that Froslass wasn't playing jokes."

"Ah yes, the fighting dirty version," replied Kiyo with a nod. "You may have an advantage with Paul if he fights dirty, he may not be ready for naughty. But you did want to have a two-on-two battle, so you need to start training with Gallade."

Gallade was released from his Pokéball. Hitmonlee and Lucario took positions for a two-on-two match.

I broadcasted to Gallade's mind, "I'll be using: Shadow Punch, Psychic, Aura Sphere and Calm Mind."

Gallade mentally reviewed his attacks: Bulk Up, X-Scissor, Brick Break and Fire Punch.

"Gallade, use Bulk Up while I hold them back."

"Begin!" announced Yuki.

Hitmonlee reached out with a kick and Lucario shot a Dark Pulse. I grabbed Hitmonlee's leg and blocked the pulse. Hitmonlee pushed off and pulled himself closer for a second kick. I fell backwards as I tried to pull Hitmonlee over and past us. Gallade took Hitmonlee's kick while he moved to intercept Lucario with a Fire Punch.

Lucario jumped over Gallade's attack. I punched Lucario from behind to throw off his landing. He recovered quickly and turned his momentum into a shoulder roll, which hid his Aura Sphere from view.

Calm mind.

Gallade was prepared and can take the hit. Indeed the Aura Sphere was intended for Gallade, as was a Rolling Kick from Hitmonlee.

"I'll take care of Hitmonlee. Watch my back." I gave Hitmonlee a full strength Aura Sphere. His springy arms and legs shot out as he took the hit. I gave him a second Aura Sphere as he hit the ground. With my mind focused on auras, I sensed that Lucario was using Bone Rush to fight his way past Gallade's defenses and towards me. I blocked with my shadow arm, but the feedback caused my arm to sting.

I rolled away to give Gallade room to fight, but Lucario was just too good with Bone Rush. I tried to Shadow Punch Lucario's legs, but he was planted. Hair pulling: I used Shadow Punch to pull Lucario's aura sensors. Gallade got a lucky Fire Punch past the bone defense.

"Stand your ground," I told Gallade.

"Are you giving up?" asked Kiyo.

"I think that you know the outcome," I replied.

"Paul won't quit."

I hit Lucario with arrow-like psychic attacks to his pressure points until he collapsed.

"Lucario is unable to continue," announced Yuki.

"Not bad," commented Kiyo. "Go get some dinner and when you return, you can have a real match."

"Are you saying that you let her win?" asked Yuki.

"I'm saying that Sabrina survived a match against two fighting Pokémon. But I have two more Pokémon that I've trained to fight psychics. That should be a real test of your abilities."

"After dinner it is," I replied.

"What? You want more punishment?"

"No Yuki, I want dinner. Let's take Gallade to the Pokémon Center."

I kept the gi and added a pair of shoes to the ensemble. A quick, but reluctant on Yuki's part, teleportation to the Pokémon Center later, we were having dinner and Gallade was having a check-up.

"I still don't like what you want to do," grumbled Yuki.

"Why?"

"You'll get hurt, Paul is beyond learning lessons, his Pokémon probably don't care and if Gallade knew why you were doing this it would reopen the mental wounds that you closed."

"Okay, that's a valid list. But I still feel that there is something inside me that makes me want to battle."

"Then do it through your Pokémon like you're supposed to. I'm beginning to think that Paul isn't the one who needs a lesson in humility."

"Meaning?"

"You've destroyed the gym, you can fly and teleport, you are a rich, successful businesswoman, and heir to a royal family. What more do you need to prove? Who are you trying to impress? Kiyo?"

"I'm not trying to impress Master Kiyo."

"Good, because he probably thinks that you are being a foolish, spoiled brat."

"Yuki, what's wrong? I thought that you accepted who I was."

"You were strong, intelligent and you worked in the background. You didn't paint your name across that skyscraper. You didn't name all those businesses after yourself. You didn't star in movies under your own name. What's happened to you?"

Yuki was right. Something was different.

"I don't know what happened, or when. But please realize that I have repressed much of myself for years. Friends, fun, even exercise were alien concepts to me for years. Maybe I have gone too far. But if I don't explore this am I not just repressing myself again?"

"There is a difference between having fun with friends and getting falling down drunk every night. There's a difference between exercise and getting beat up." In a quiet voice she added, "There's a difference between cuddling on the couch and Delia's marathon orgies."

A gave a little laugh. "There's a difference between a snicker and rolling on the floor laughing. So if I don't battle Paul, who will?"

"The gym leader is asking me? What do you want to do to him?"

"Humiliate."

"Then you need to talk to Gengar or Haunter," replied Yuki. "If Paul's Pokémon are still open to a lesson, teach them about fun."

"Mr. Mime has more experience than Gallade and is more used to the pranks that the ghosts like. Rotom needs more battle experience, but if I had enough toys, he could switch from one form to another to keep Paul off his game. Alakazam would be my best choice for a psychic… Fine, I'll withdraw from the match and use my Pokémon."

"Oh thank you, thank you, thank you! I'm so glad that you came to your senses," praised Yuki.

"No, my sense says to beat the crap out of him and his Pokémon. Reason says that I should treat this as a regular gym battle," I corrected.

"Whatever. As long as you don't put yourself in unnecessary danger."

"So after dinner I'll tell Kiyo that I changed my mind and pick out my Pokémon."

While we ate and talked about regular gym business, it became very apparent that Yuki had been focused on my battle and hadn't been paying attention to her own students.

We hurried back to the dojo and found it dark.

I could sense the thoughts of Kiyo and his Pokémon inside, so we entered.

Wham! Pain! Darkness.

"Sabrina!" shouted Yuki.

"I'm sorry mistress, but I had to do it!" cried Kiyo.

"Never mind that! Help me stop the bleeding!"

When I regained consciousness, the lights were on and I was on the floor. Yuki was holding my nose and there was a lot of pain. My nose hurt, my stomach hurt and my scalp hurt.

"Heh-whoa," I honked. I mentally projected to Yuki, "My nose is broken, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Kiyo and his Pokémon ambushed me?"

"Yes."

"Where is he now?"

"Calling an ambulance," she replied.

"They are on their way," announced Kiyo as he entered the room. "I brought clean towels and ice."

I glared at Kiyo.

He threw himself to the floor and kowtowed. "Please Mistress. Please don't fight in your battle with Paul. I couldn't live with myself if you got hurt because of me."

"KIYO!" I projected.

"Yes?"

"You ambushed me to teach me a lesson about not being ready for a Pokémon battle?"

"Yes."

"Your Pokémon pulled my hair, punched me in the nose and hit me in the stomach."

"Kicked you in the stomach," he corrected.

"Yuki had already convinced me not to fight."

"…"

"Now before you do something else stupid, like seppuku, thank you."

"What?"

"You were so concerned for my well being that you broke my nose, instead of letting me have my way. Thank you."

"You're thanking me for breaking your nose?"

"No, and if you try it again I'll turn your brains into soup. Thank you for not giving in to my spoiled brat desires like you did when I beat your Pokémon all those years ago."

"Okay."

"Now go let the paramedics in to set my nose."

"Yes mistress." It was amusing watching him kowtow and scramble for the door at the same time. Too bad it hurt to laugh.

"So… what do you want to do for the rest of the evening?" asked Yuki.

"Go watch movies with some friends," I thought.

After the paramedics did their job, Yuki and I gathered all our Pokémon. I sent a message to Haunter and Gastly to join us at my place.

"Should I go shopping like this?" I mentally asked Yuki.

"With the swelling, splints and tape, your nose is bigger than a Hypno. You may pull off that illusion better if the front of your gi wasn't soaked in your own blood," replied Yuki, in a strangely matter-of-fact way.

I replaced the gi with slacks, lab coat and jacket and followed Yuki to the nearest store.

So after buying a lot of microwave popcorn and Pokémon snacks, and moving furniture in my living room, we were ready for movie night.

We started with the favorite movies of the Clowns of Lavender Town: physical comedies, which worked well for most of the audience. What an audience though. Alakazam, Alakazam II, Golduck, Poliwag, Spoink, Espeon, Eevee, Gardevoir, Gengar, Ralts, Gastly, Haunter, Gastly, Rotom, Froslass, Mr. Mime, Drowzee, Gallade and Staryu were my Pokémon, while Yuki had her Solrock, Lunatone, Claydol and Starmie. Twenty-three Pokémon and two humans in a living room made for a cozy evening.

As I watched the Pokémon, I wondered if I still wanted to battle Paul in a two-on-two battle. I rarely battled that way and my Pokémon haven't formed the close ties that Yuki's did. But with four Pokémon and six different pairings, Yuki has had plenty of time to devise strategies.

Which of my Pokémon could do the same? Well the Clowns could since they worked together since before I've met them. My Alakazam is as much a part of me that she could act as trainer in a battle; but that wouldn't be a partnership. Drowzee and Staryu knew each other for years, but I doubt that they battled as a pair. Probably the best teams I could form (correction use) would be that of Alakazam II and Golduck or Gardevoir and Gengar.

One by one, the little ones fell asleep and were carried off to bed. The next set of movies had more dialog; that took a while for some of the Pokémon, and sadly myself, to process as funny. But we all enjoyed ourselves and got to bed late.


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Almost Back to Normal

Part 3

The alarm clock buzzed.

"Wake up Yuki," I muttered at I nudged her with my foot. "Time to go to work."

"What about you?"

"I'm injured, so I'm going to the doctor to have my nose checked. I may come by later to train some Pokémon."

"Fine," moaned Yuki.

"Get up," I reminded her.

Yuki did get up, at the last minute, gathered her Pokémon and ran off to the gym.

I was too restless to sleep, so I got up and surveyed the mess from the night before and found that there wasn't one. There were Pokémon sleeping on the floor. The others, I assumed, were downstairs in their rooms.

Note to self: make rooms for all of my Pokémon.

"Gardevoir," yawned my Pokémon.

"Good morning to you too," I replied. "What would you say to a double battle with Gengar?"

"Voir?"

"I've been convinced not to enter the battle personally, but I'm still debating the idea of a two-on-two battle. Of my Pokémon that would do best as a team, I think that it would be you and Gengar, Golduck and Alakazam, or Gengar and Haunter."

Gardevoir rolled her eyes.

"Yes I realize that Gengar and Haunter would be nothing but trouble, but that's the point. I want it to be trouble for the opponent. Gengar and Haunter have known each other for years, so they can anticipate each other's moves and know each other's limits. In a sense, Alakazam and Golduck are the same way, and they survived together in Cerulean Cave."

Gardevoir glared at me.

"Yes I want your opinion," I answered.

"Gar de voir," she stated flatly.

"That's settled then. Do we have anything for breakfast, other than popcorn?"

After I loaded the rice cooker, I went downstairs to Golduck and Alakazam's room. I knocked on the door and asked, "May I come in?"

"Duck."

I entered the room. The pair was still on their waterbed. "I gave up on the idea of battling personally, but I'd like to talk to you two about fighting as a team."

"Zam?"

"Yes we can talk over breakfast."

We gathered in the dining room and ate rice porridge. "So, have you two battled as a pair?"

Golduck recalled that back the Cerulean Cave, she'd use water attacks on rock Pokémon, and Kadabra used psychic attacks on electric, fighting and poison Pokémon. Slowbros and Parasects were slow and wouldn't start fights.

"Did you battle Pokémon from outside the cave?"

Answer: not together. Both were born outside the cave and moved in later.

"I would like both of you to battle for me as a team. Alakazam, you have battled in the gym, but I could Golduck so I wouldn't break up the family. If you don't want to risk it, then I'd…"

Golduck was glaring at me as she mentally recalled several encounters in Cerulean Cave where she defended him after he got knocked out by a lucky hit.

"I'll admit that Kadabras are not known for their defensive value."

Alakazam blushed.

"Do you want to battle?"

Golduck gave me a thumbs-up.

Alakazam nodded.

"Then let's get to work."

"?"

"For starters, we need to understand what moves can Golduck do."

I browsed my Pokédex and muttered, "Water attacks, water attacks… wait a minute. Soak? Ever try that one?"

Golduck shook her head and explained that if she soaked a Pokémon then it would become resistant to other water attacks and poison Pokémon would lose their weakness to psychic.

"Since dark types are not found in Cerulean Cave, you never needed this move," I concluded.

"?"

"Once soaked, a dark type is vulnerable to psychic attacks and they lose their type boost toward their dark attacks. In fact all of the Pokémon who are immune to an attack because of their type would become vulnerable: ground, flying, ghost, normal, steel and dark. This move is way better than Miracle Eye."

Golduck beamed.

"Yet you never learned it."

The beam faded.

"No matter, I know who we can call to fix that."

I went through my files and found the entry for Melvin Gifford: move maniac, heart scale collector and junior grade file clerk. Once again, Melvin was two months behind on his rent. I placed a call.

"Move tutoring services: one heart scale per move. How can I help you?"

"This is Sabrina and I have a Golduck that I want to learn Soak."

"Do you live within the Saffron City area?"

"This is Sabrina, the Saffron City Gym Leader."

"Oh, sorry Miss Sabrina. I could come by this evening."

"I want it done on your lunch break."

"But…"

"Let me put it this way: This is Sabrina. You owe me two months back rent and I'll throw you out on the street and confiscate your heart scale collection as payment unless you teach my Golduck Soak!"

"Yes Miss Sabrina!"

"I prepaid for a roundtrip from your work to the gym via the warptile network. Take your equipment to work and warp here on your lunch break. Understood?"

"Yes Miss Sabrina."

After Melvin's call, I made a call for an appointment with the family doctor, Dr. Werner Marcus.

As I waited for the doctor, I tried to catch up on business, but my mind kept thinking about Alakazam, Golduck and Soak. After Soak, the best follow up attack would be Energy Ball, Charge Beam or Shock Wave. But there are still abilities that negate those attacks, and Paul does have an Electivire with motor drive. Electivire… I have to think about Golduck's strengths and weaknesses too and there are so many ways to negate water attacks. Water absorb, storm drain and dry skin could be negated with Skill Swap. If Golduck has a move that disrupts the enemy, then so should Alakazam.

The technical machine for that should be at home. I'll pick it up after I see Dr. Marcus

There was blinding flash of light in my eye.

"You don't look like you have a concussion," commented the doctor.

I was in the exam room. "I must have spaced out," I said.

"That's typical for you. Will broken noses also be typical for you?"

"No, that was a sparring accident."

"Sparring with what?"

"Fighting Pokémon," I confessed.

"A rematch with Kiyo?"

"He was training me for an upcoming battle. But I changed my mind; I won't battle personally. You could say that he knocked some sense into me."

"If that's what it would take, I'd have slapped you around years ago. Are you flinching?"

"Where?"

"Here," he said as he poked my left side.

I focused my mind on the pain receptors and concluded, "Ow!"

"Would you change into a gown so I can examine this properly?"

"Yes sir."

After a few minutes privacy, he returned and continued the exam. "Heavens! What happened here?"

"I got punched and kicked, a lot."

He put his stethoscope to my back and said, "Breathe in… and out. In… and out. What happened back here?"

"Signal Beam."

"I hope it stings."

"It did."

"You probably have two cracked ribs. Your lungs sound fine, so I don't think they were damaged. I want you have some x-rays to make sure. Why have you become so reckless these days?"

I shrugged and winced in pain.

"No!" he ordered.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"You were about to go into a trance and block the pain, heal the damage or something. Weren't you?"

"Yes…?"

"That's the problem."

"I thought my problem was broken ribs and a broken nose."

"The problem is that you treat yourself like a Pokémon. You get yourself beat up and worn out then." He imitated the "Ding-ding-sing" of the Pokémon Center. "You're a human being."

"I'm mostly human," I corrected.

"You're pushing your luck. You've got too much of your grandmother's ambition."

"That's a bad thing?"

"As a gym leader or businesswoman? No. But when you push yourself as a psychic, you're reaching too far into your non-human traits. You can lose yourself and I won't be able to bring you back."

I showed my bracelet and said, "I've been keeping a journal so I can recover my sanity."

"I've already concluded that you're crazy," he muttered. "The problem is that one day you'll use Recover and become a Pokémon."

I blinked. "Say that again."

"My family has been doctors for your clan for generations. About 300 years ago, the Crown Prince Arthur pushed his abilities so far that he became a Pokémon."

"Why have I not heard about this before?"

"Because there was a cover-up. He didn't become a Pokémon instantly. Prince Arthur tried to emulate his Alakazam and his armor helped to hide the transformation. At first it was his moustache and his eyes that became like a Pokémon's. He didn't mind because he became stronger. When his fingers fused together, he realized that it was too late."

"What happened then?"

"He left. I assumed that he completed the transformation and lived out a normal life as an Alakazam. Before he left, he wiped the memory of his condition from everyone's mind except his mother and my ancestor who was the chief physician to the clan. My ancestor hid his notes in a hypnotic painting for any future doctor for the clan. If they feared that one of your ancestors was getting too strong and reckless, then that fear would unlock the message. My fears have unlocked that message twice."

"When was the first time?"

"When your grandmother was training to become champion."

"Did she tell you that I had Pokérus?"

"No, but I'm not surprised."

"Should I be surprised if my eyes change?"

"Have they changed before?" he asked as he examined my eyes again.

"Several times."

"Do you find it difficult to change them back?"

"Not really. If I relax and my power levels drop, they go back to normal. When I had Pokérus I couldn't relax."

"Have you experienced any unusual growth of whiskers?"

"No."

He examined my scalp. "There's some redness from the hair pulling and the fall, but nothing else," he commented.

"Should I be examining myself up there?"

"You probably should examine yourself everywhere." He looked over my hands. "Before you go to x-rays, stop by the copier machine with me, I'd like to take a print of your hands."

"?"

"You're the gym leader, so you should know that each kind of psychic Pokémon has their psychic receptors in a different place: horns, hands, lips, tails, etc. In your case I'd check my scalp for any developments and your hands. If you wind up with Mr. Mime hands, well… let's just say that you should shop for long sleeved kimonos."

"Should I give up flying?"

"Psychic flying?"

"Yes."

"How long has it been since you had Pokérus?"

"Weeks."

"How hard do you push yourself? Are you exhausted after flying?"

"It's about as strenuous as racing on a bicycle."

Dr. Marcus took off his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose. "This complicates things. Human medical technology isn't designed to monitor these things. I need to get Pokémon diagnostic equipment."

"Is this bad?"

"Probably not for you, but now I have to learn how to use these fancy new machines. Some Royal Physicians just have to deal with substance abuse, eating disorders and inbreeding. I have a patient who doesn't know if she's human or a Pokémon."

"If you could go back and change careers, would you?" I asked.

"Not a chance. Someone has to look after you."

[Recording error: out of range]

Thankfully all the tests that Dr. Marcus wanted were over in time for me to collect my Pokémon and meet Melvin at the dojo during lunch.

Melvin looked at me plaintively and asked, "Are you sure you don't have a heart scale?"

"Melvin, the going rate for a heart scale is about 10,000 Pokédollars, you owe 200,000 Pokédollars in back rent on your apartment. I'm willing to credit you 100,000 Pokédollars towards your rent for this rush job. Do the math."

Melvin just sighed as he worked.

"Heart scales?" asked Yuki in between mouthfuls of lunch. "I used to collect those when I was a kid."

"What do you do with them?" I asked. "Do you fry them and eat them in sushi?"

Melvin gasped.

"No," replied Yuki. "They were good luck items. If you found just the right scale then you were sure to find the love of your life."

I put up extra mental shields as I looked from Yuki to Melvin and concluded that one of them needs a lot more than luck. "I've got other business to catch up on. Excuse me."

Yuki stayed and chatted with Melvin as he worked.

"Sensei?" asked Jean as she stared at my bandaged nose.

I listed: "Broken nose and two cracked ribs."

"Ouch."

I rapped on the stiff brace under my clothes. "It's a good thing that I can psychically tie my shoes," I joked. "Melvin still owes a month of back rent. Ask around if anyone needs a move tutor, I could probably pressure him into giving a bulk discount."

"We may have some requests in a few days."

"Why?"

"The Unova tournament," she replied. "We showed you the lesson plans."

The lesson plans were for various writing assignments based upon the trainers, Pokémon, moves and tactics displayed at the tournament.

"Sorry, my mind was elsewhere."

"Obviously," chuckled Jean.

"I better get Alakazam ready." I took my young Alakazam to the portable office and used my custom technical machine for Skill Swap.

[User input: technical machine mode. Select: Skill Swap]

As we meditated, I could feel Alakazam's Synchronize infusing my body.

"Zam," grumbled my Pokémon.

"Whatever my ability is, I doubt that you'd want it."

"Kazam," he offered.

"It's called 'Moody', not 'Bitchy'," I corrected.

He tried to laugh, but flinched in pain instead.

"If I've got your Synchronize, then you can sample my cracked ribs," I teased. "Now, let's go try it out on real Pokémon."

The target that would show the most obvious results would be one of Yuki's levitating Pokémon. It took an hour of practice before Alakazam got it right. Thankfully Yuki's Claydol was very patient.

"Duck!" cheered Golduck as I recalled Claydol to its Pokéball.

"So now, you're both ready?"

They nodded in agreement.

"Then what we need to determine next is what move Alakazam should use on the soaked Pokémon."

Golduck pointed out that the idea was for the soaked Pokémon to be vulnerable to psychic attacks.

"And it still is," I replied. "But Soak is also replacing Miracle Eye, which cuts the foe's evasion and Soak can't do that. So let us give Alakazam Shock Wave which is an electric move that always hits."

Alakazam nodded in agreement.

Golduck bristled at the idea of an electric attack, but then realized if she didn't like it, neither would other water types.

[User input: technical machine mode. Select: ?]

[User input: technical machine mode. Search: Shock Wave]

[No such file found.]

"Maybe it's in the office."

I went to the cramped office and searched my desk, the drawers and the file cabinets. The box of Technical Machines wasn't there. I broadcasted to the teachers, "Has anyone seen the Technical Machines?"

"I have it," thought Yuki.

I went to Yuki and returned her Claydol. Her students were grouped into pairs and were testing their Pokémon attacks against Light Screen; except the sibling rivals of Elizabeth and Bartholomew. They were attacking each other from behind their Pokémon's Light Screen.

"You're getting sleepy."

"No, you're getting sleepy."

"You can't keep your eyes open."

"You're being smothered in a warm blanket."

They both fell to the floor and snored.

"This is Light Screen, not Safeguard," groaned Yuki.

I checked the contents of the box and there wasn't a copy of Shock Wave.

"Did Zoey or Jean use this recently?" I asked.

"Zoey did this morning," replied Yuki as she wrote on the fallen students' foreheads, "Light Screen is not Safeguard."

I put the box down and went to find Zoey. She was outside with her coordinator class. The Pokémon were practicing Charge Beam, with various levels of brilliance. "Charlotte, that Charge Beam was a little too showy. If your attack misses the opponent you'll lose points."

"Yes, sensei."

"Zoey, did you see the Shock Wave disk?" I asked.

"I couldn't find one, so we made do with Charge Beam."

"Oh," I replied as I watched Shuppet light itself up like a black light bulb, before it shot off another Charge Beam.

I searched for Ivan and found him in a quiet corner of the office, studying his driving manual.

"Milady?"

"Have we ever had a copy of Shock Wave?"

"I thought we did," he remarked. He searched his files for an inventory of the gym's equipment and crossed checked it with a list of items sent to storage. "We have two boxes of technical machine disks: the main collection and a box of duplicates. The duplicates should be in storage and I have a listing for Shock Wave."

I led him to Yuki's class and Ivan opened the box of disks. While the students studied the differences of Light Screen and Reflect, Ivan searched the box. I psychically eavesdropped on Ivan and noticed that he saw at least two copies of Psychic. "Why are there two copies of Psychic in that box?"

He gulped. "Because this is the box of duplicates," he explained nervously.

"Which means that Shock Wave is in storage," I concluded.

"Yes Milady."

"And we won't see it again until we unpack our equipment as we move into the new gym."

"Yes Milady."

"Fine, I'll just get another copy of Shock Wave. Thank you for your time."

"Yes Milady," replied Ivan before he scuttled back to his quiet hiding place.

[Input search: Shock Wave purchase]

The only practical way to get a copy of Shock Wave was to go to the Vermillion City Gym and get it from Lt. Surge. So twenty minutes later, after a teleport and train ride, I entered the said gym.

"Sabrina, Baby!" boomed the gym leader. There was a little grey mixed in with his thinning, blonde crew cut.

"Rai!" cheered his faithful Pokémon.

"I would like a copy of Shock Wave, please."

"You know what it takes to earn a copy, baby."

I hypnotized Raichu into a deep sleep.

"Raichu is unable to battle; Sabrina from Saffron City is the winner," I announced. "Now can I have a copy?"

"But, but, that doesn't count," argued Surge.

"Why not?"

"It was supposed to be a three-on-three battle."

"I didn't bring my Pokémon, but if you want me to knock out two more…"

"Nope. Three Pokémon or no battle."

"I'm willing to pay," I offered.

"Good, then it's a date," he replied.

"What?"

"You said you'd pay."

"I'm in a hurry."

"Late lunch? Early dinner? Come on…"

I relented and said, "Fine."

"Yes!" replied Surge with fist pumping.

[Input search: Vermillion City curry]

"There's someplace in town that I'd love to go to," I offered in a voice that was a little too sweet.

As we waited outside for the cab, I explained to Lt. Surge, "I've got two cracked ribs and a broken nose; so no hugging, kissing or any kind of touching. Got it?"

"Yes ma'am."

The taxi took us to Vermillion City Seaside Park. Surge bolted out of the cab. The taxi driver got out, went around the car and opened my door. "Thank you very much," I replied to the driver as I paid and tipped him handsomely. I met Surge's eye. He realized that he just lost points on the gentleman-o-meter.

There were rides and games for children of all ages, and Lt. Surge had a little fantasy of taking me on the Ferris wheel, but I pressed on to the food court, then on to the Seven Stars of Curry. Seven Stars consists of seven booths featuring the top curry shops from around the country. Not only was there the traditional curry and rice, but also, curry soup, curry cookies, curry lemonade. Seven Stars also featured exciting new experiments in curry.

Lt. Surge's stomach rumbled in fear.

"You must be starving," I said and then quickly ordered something hot and spicy from every booth.

I sat at an empty table and waited for the food to arrive. The first two items were a curry snow cone and curry beef still sizzling on a hot iron plate.

Surge grew pale.

"I just love curry," I purred. With my chopsticks I took a hot piece of meat from the plate and admired the aroma. "It makes me feel so warm. Doesn't this smell wonderful?"

Surge opened his mouth to comment, so I stuffed the morsel in.

"Good, yes?"

He reluctantly nodded yes.

The next item that arrived was a curry-vegetable smoothie. I found the drink to be thicker than a milkshake, so I bobbed my head up and down as I sucked on the straw. Surge definitely got the image that I was trying to convey. "Would you like some of this?" I asked with lustful eyes.

He nodded yes.

I removed the lid and psychically scooped out a big spoonful of curry smoothie and into Surge's mouth. His face turned red, purple and finally green. His eyes watered better than any Pokémon's Fake Tears.

"I just wished that they made it spicier."

Surge just wheezed in disbelief.

"I could spend all afternoon here eating curry, but I really need to get back to the gym."

He nodded in agreement.

"Next time that I'm in town, we can sample items from the extra spicy menu."

The waiter delivered a currywurst on a stick. I took the wurst and suggestively teased my lips. I leaned closer to Surge and asked, "Shock Wave?"

He remembered that he put the disk in his left pocket. I ran my hand from his knee, up his tight and sweaty cargo pants to his pocket and removed the disk.

[Activate warptile beacon: location: gym]

"Bye." I teleported to the warptile across the street from the gym, with my currywurst and smoothie in hand. The smoothie was good, but sucking on that thick stuff was hard on my ribs, and I definitely wouldn't do any theatrics with the straw in public.

Yuki had moved her class outside so their Pokémon could openly spar while trying Light Screen and Reflect. "Where were you?" she asked.

"I had to go to Vermillion City to get a new Shock Wave."

"What's that?"

"Curry smoothie."

"Yuck."

"Too thick," I remarked and telekinetically threw it in the trash. "Will you be up for a two-on-two battle later?"

"Against Shock Wave and a water Pokémon?" replied Yuki.

"You're right, that's not really fair. I'll go ask Zoey."

Zoey was still outside with her students. "Did you find Shock Wave?" she asked.

"Fresh from Vermillion City, with a side of curry. May I have a two-on-two battle later, after I teach Alakazam?"

"Sure."

Alakazam learned Shock Wave quickly, so an hour later we were ready for our first team battle.

"Gastrodon and Gallade: show time!" cheered Zoey.

Rumble.

"You can go first boss," offered Zoey.

I mentally ordered, "Alakazam use skill swap on Gastrodon. Golduck soak…"

Moan.

"Soak…soak. Oh duck!"

[Emergency teleport home]

[Incoming text from Yuki] "Sabrina, are you okay?"

[Text reply] "Curry smoothie isn't smooth on my stomach."

[Incoming text from Yuki] "Do you need anything?"

[Text reply] "Whatever works."

There was a knock on the bathroom door. "Are you feeling better?" asked Yuki.

"Better than what?" I grumbled.

"Better than a Gulpin that passed a Muk."

"Based upon relative body mass and toxic gasses; I'd say it's comparable."

"I better get you something to drink," offered Yuki.

"That's how I got into trouble in the first place."

"Just read up on dehydration while I'm gone."

I spent the rest of the night running my business empire from the throne, forcing down sports drinks and getting less than restful naps on the couch.

When I woke, it was ten in the morning and Yuki had left for work. I got cleaned up, changed and after a small breakfast of plain rice, I took the warptile to work.

The students from both the gym and the dojo were gathered in the main hall, watching the preliminary rounds of the Unova championships. I knew that the students had assignments, and they'll be reminded of them several times as they get distracted by the excitement.

"Uh, boss?" asked Zoey as she saw me enter the room. I moved next to her. She pointed to the monitor and said, "That's Paul."

I released Natu from her Pokéball and mentally asked her to explain what happened.

She flew over, landed on Zoey's head and explained that this is how she saw Paul in her vision.

"Why didn't you mention that he was on television?"

She looked from one edge of the screen to the other and commented that he looked so real.

"…"

I spent the rest of the day meditating in the office and, despite doctor's orders, healing.

That evening I had dinner with the staff at Psychic Noodles.

"I got my nose broke, stomach bruised, two ribs cracked, had a date with Surge and spent all night on the toilet; all because Natu couldn't tell the difference between a vision of Paul and a vision of watching Paul on the television," I grumped.

"Is that why you're having a beer?" asked Jean.

"I'm having a beer because my stomach is still upset from the curry."

"I thought you loved curry," remarked Yuki.

"I do, but I think that the curry smoothie had spoiled mayonnaise in it." After another sip of beer, I added, "I wonder how Lt. Surge is doing."


	23. Chapter 23

Author's note: Thank you for waiting.

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Lemon Warning: If you don't know what a lemon is or you know you're not supposed to read it, then don't. Really, if you're under 18, go read something else.

Mewtwo, Love and Team Rocket

Gym Leader: the title doesn't have as much weight when the gym is a crater. I looked out the window of my office, correction: the portable office. The MUGI Building across the street still had tenants that wouldn't move till the end of next month, so we couldn't begin renovations for the new gym. The former gym was demolished and the debris had been removed. Our equipment was stored in shipping containers. The site of the former gym was an expanding crater that will be the site of a new subway line and underground shopping mall. The office was a trailer and I shared it with my three teachers. But it had water, electricity and therefore hot tea. Master Kiyo let us use the extra space of his dojo for our students, so I was content.

Knock!

There was a stranger at the door: he had guarded thoughts yet no psychic ability. I opened the door.

"Miss Sabrina?" asked the man in a trench coat.

"Yes?"

"I'm Agent Looker of the International Police," he explained.

"So?"

"May I come in? I have some important questions." I waved him in and directed him to a chair in front of my desk. "Miss Sabrina what can you tell me about this Pokémon?" asked Agent Looker as he held a grainy photo of Mewtwo.

"What I will tell you depends on what you already know."

"That's not very helpful."

"I don't intend on being helpful if what I believe is that you want to persecute or exploit a psychic Pokémon. Since you are asking me about this Pokémon, you must know that it is psychic," I replied. I sipped my tea and added, "I can sense all your threats of grand juries and court orders, but don't bother; time isn't on your side."

Looker reached into his trench coat and pulled out several more photos and laid them on my makeshift desk. "These were taken over the last two weeks," he explained. "Mewtwo was seen in the company of Jessie and James, rouge members of Team Rocket. We know that Mewtwo was originally created by Team Rocket and escaped. So far they have only committed some petty crimes and even stopped some crimes in progress."

Before he could ask a question, I said, "What you need to find out is: why did Mewtwo go with Jessie and James instead of Giovanni? Mewtwo is too powerful to be handled by lower members in Team Rocket; only Giovanni can marshal the resources to capture Mewtwo. Perhaps Mewtwo is trying to lure Giovanni out into the open."

"Revenge?"

"I don't know. Mewtwo's mind is beyond my ability to read completely. Where was Mewtwo last seen?"

"I'm not at…," he started to argue, but I cut him off.

"Yes you are," I corrected. "You don't want Mewtwo to fall into Giovanni's hands. You also don't want an all out war between Team Rocket and one of the most powerful Pokémon in the world. Thus you will tell me and hope that I go and stop this…whatever it is."

"Sinnoh, outside of Hearthome City."

"Thank you. What was the crime in progress?"

"Hunter J was trying to catch a swarm of Beldum."

"Wasn't she lost in another dimension?"

"Was," he corrected.

"Sinnoh," I muttered. In an unguarded moment, Agent Looker's mind flashed images of Dawn, Ash and most of the legendary Pokémon of Sinnoh. "Something else doesn't make sense: Mewtwo once warned me about coming to the attention of those Pokémon. Yes I was reading your mind. If Mewtwo wanted to confront Giovanni, then luring him away from his resources in Kanto may be worth the risk.

"If you want my help, send my Pokétch all locations of Mewtwo sightings and I'll go search."

"Only if you take me with you," countered the agent.

"Can you teleport?"

"No."

"Then you can't follow where I have to go. Besides I think that your organization has already violated my privacy enough."

"Excuse me?"

"No I won't. Mewtwo's period of activity was about ten years ago. Since then he has been in hiding. You've come to me because you have evidence that he has visited me, thus you were spying on me. If you could have tracked him, then you wouldn't need to ask me about his whereabouts."

Agent Looker replied, "My orders are to investigate Team Rocket and prevent them from capturing Mewtwo. I would like to assure you that I'm not investigating you. I came to you because you are the top psychic of Kanto and a gym leader."

I sensed a glimmer of honesty is his intentions.

"I'm not helping you for your sake. I'm doing this to help Mewtwo. Just because you want to help Mewtwo, that doesn't mean that I completely trust you. If you people have a file on me, then you know that I don't like others that rival my authority. You should know that I value my privacy and that I can rip the information I need from your mind if you try to alter our bargain."

Fear forced Looker's mind to race and open gaps in his mental defenses.

"I'm not asking you to give me information that will compromise other agents that are probably inside Giovanni's organization, as long as you don't expect me to compromise my kind: psychics. Good day."

After he left, I called Grandma Lilith. "Yes?" she asked.

"Oh I just had the International Police in here asking questions."

"Was it something you did?"

"No, but I can't really talk about it," I replied.

"I understand."

"Can you tell me some good news?" I asked.

"Such as?"

"Is there any way to speed up the building process?"

"No dear, you have to be patient."

I sighed. "How many tenants have you signed up?"

"I have fifty percent of the mall already leased," Grandma replied. "Retail is easy. The food court is a little harder to secure. I only have two franchise restaurants signed on. The rest will be small family owned shops and they'll want to see the space before they commit."

"I wonder if Sonny would be willing to relocate his Psychic Noodles," I pondered.

"Are you trying to steal one of my best tenants?"

"Relocate," I corrected. "The food court in the department store is already successful, so if Sonny moves out, the space should be quickly leased. When Sonny moves here he could act as an anchor and bring his patrons which will help encourage others to lease restaurant space."

"Good argument. What you didn't take into account is: how many of Sonny's patrons eat lunch here daily because they work close by? A committed lunch crowd is the key to success of restaurants like his."

After a notable pause, I said, "There is something else that I need to ask."

"Yes?"

"Landscaping: have you heard from all of the landscapers about their status?"

"I've only heard back from Solarbeam Nursery, but they don't have enough black pines for the project."

"Don't we have someone else for that?"

"I haven't heard anything from him in two weeks."

"Oh," I replied as my heart sank a little.

"Don't be upset dear. Landscaping is the last step."

"I realize that. But as a psychic, I don't like the idea of 'not knowing'."

"I understand. If I get any updates, I'll be sure to call you."

"Thanks Grandma."

I ended the call and sipped my tea. As the warmth of the tea soothed me, I stretched out my mind. Maybe I could find a hint to this puzzle.

"Sabrina?" It was Yuki's thoughts.

I left the cramped portable. "Yes?"

"You have a challenger."

"Thanks." I looked over the jobsite. Pilings were being driven; soil and mud were being removed. Humans and Pokémon were 'busy' at work. This meant that most were working, while others were watching, waiting, supervising and perhaps spying.

"Is everything okay?" asked Yuki.

"I have to go to Sinnoh," I mentally replied.

"Again? I think you're having an affair with Dawn."

"I can't believe that you would think that," I mentally replied with a wink.

"It is true!" thought Yuki.

"We'll discuss it later. Now I have a job to do."

The challenger was Larry from Hop-Hop-Hop Town, with a Pidgeotto, Beedrill, Charmander and one badge from Erica's gym. My younger Alakazam took out Charmander and Beedrill before Pidgeotto used Whirlwind. Gallade had a bit of a challenge but won in the end.

"Wow, you're nothing like Erica," commented Larry as he recalled his fallen Pidgeotto.

"Why should we be alike?"

"You're both gym leaders."

"She has grass types while I have Psychics and Ghosts," I pointed out.

"Yes, but … I didn't think that you'd battle so hard."

My mind had been elsewhere since Looker left. I didn't use my strongest Pokémon and I didn't read Larry's mind during the battle. "Larry, when you get eight badges it means that you're ready to compete in the Indigo League Tournament. No one there is going to hold back."

"I guess…"

"Having one of eight badges means that you have a lot of training and growing ahead of you."

After Larry left, Yuki commented, "It's a good thing that you didn't go all out."

"Hmm?"

"You're so distracted that you could have burned the building without noticing."

"…?"

"He did have a Charmander. Wooden building? Wooden floors? Are you in there?"

"No, I'm not," I muttered. I projected to all my students and staff, "Who has experience with Team Rocket?"

Zoey replied, "Me."

I went outside where Zoey was exercising her Pokémon and teaching students about contest moves. "Actually I need information about Jessie and James," I explained.

"I thought that they were Team Rocket," replied Zoey with a shrug. "They're criminals who, with a Meowth, followed Ash Ketchum and tried to steal his Pokémon. I don't know if they ever did steal a Pokémon, but they were persistent."

"What about the Meowth?"

"He can talk human speech, so sometimes he would con a Pokémon to join their team for some crime." Zoey looked at my face then turned back to watch her students. "I suppose that communicating with Pokémon isn't a big deal to a psychic."

"Sorry, I was lost in thought. Was the Meowth very convincing?"

Zoey shrugged.

"Thanks." As I waited for new information to come to my Pokétch, I watched Zoey's students Charlotte and Dana. Dana's Gastly was practicing a rather spooky Double Team while Charlotte's Shuppet was stretching the limits of her Shadow Sneak. Zoey's mind was analyzing the two attacks for visual appeal and combat potential.

"Dana, if Gastly's images could take different poses, then you can score more points. Charlotte, the shadow is more than a means of attack; it can also take shape for appeal points. Use it like a shadow puppet."

"But don't broadcast your intention," I corrected.

"Sensei?" asked Charlotte.

"You envisioned the shadow looking like Shuppet and attacking. The nature of Shadow Sneak is surprise and deception. Shuppet, come here please."

The little ghost floated over to me. I held the little one in my hands and projected my ideas through her. We took our shadow and stretched out a long Shuppet image toward Charlotte. Evil eyes and a wicked grin formed in the shadow. Charlotte backed away.

"Do you see what happened? You backed away because you believed that the attack would come from there."

Charlotte and Dana nervously nodded.

"So as you were focused on the shadow, did you pay attention to Miss Zoey?"

The children turned quickly to see if their instructor was about to attack. She wasn't. (If students are going to fear someone, let it be me.)

"There is something else that is very important to see here," added Zoey. She motioned of the students to look again at the shadow. "This practice field is like a contest field in that there are no obstructions and there is plenty of light. Shadows on contest fields are almost nonexistent. So…"

"Shadow Sneak is very obvious," concluded Charlotte. There was a moment of disappointment in her voice.

"Isn't Double Team obvious?" I asked as I gave Shuppet a little push toward her trainer. "Thank you for your time Miss Zoey."

As I walked away I could sense that student's thoughts were racing with new ideas.

I wished I had ideas. All I had were facts: Mewtwo was in Sinnoh and in the company of Team Rocket members. Team Rocket's main assets would probably deploy. Hunter J was active. International Police want Mewtwo stopped or captured.

I looked at my Pokétch; still no new information from Looker.

As I gathered my Pokémon: Alakazam, Golduck, Froslass, Rotom, Gallade and Natu, I sent a text message to my staff, "I must leave now to Sinnoh."

"Be careful," Yuki mentally warned, "Don't disappear again."

I was going to teleport home on my own, but Yuki's thought got to me. I ran to the nearest warp tile and took it to the apartment. As I gathered clothes and gear, I mentally explained to my Pokémon, "I have to go to Sinnoh again and look for Mewtwo. I'm taking Alakazam, Golduck, Froslass, Rotom, Gallade and Natu with me. Don't give Yuki too much trouble."

Espeon regretted not being able to come too.

"Do you need a break from little Eevee?" I teased.

Gengar wondered why I needed to find Mewtwo.

"I know that he shouldn't need my help, but his actions in Sinnoh have gotten the attention of a lot of dangerous elements."

Espeon supposed that Mewtwo could be the bait to trap me.

I was halfway dressed in a ski suit that I bought from Nurse Joy. My only source of information was from an International Police Agent. Maybe it was a trap for me.

I made a call: "Papa, has there been any unusual activity in Sinnoh in the last two weeks?"

"Let me check." While he worked he asked, "Are you coming over for dinner soon?"

"That depends on what's going on in Sinnoh."

"There is the usual background of Pokéball transit and Pokémon teleportation. There were seven large teleport events in the last two weeks, with eyewitness reports of two of them. One was Giratina and the other was Palkia. Duration of their stay was average. Four of the unwitnessed events are within the parameters of typical guardian Pokémon activity. The seventh event has an unusual energy signature."

"When and where did that occur?"

"Sixteen days ago." Papa worked his computer some more.

"What's wrong?"

"It looks like the event happened where you disappeared."

"That's where I'll start my search," I concluded.

"Search for what?"

"Mewtwo."

"I don't like this Sabrina. I don't want you to disappear again. How could I face your mother?"

"I'll avoid excess teleportation and I'm bringing Natu as a path finder," I offered.

"There is something dangerous going on. I can feel it."

"I feel it too. But if Mewtwo is caught, things will be even more dangerous."

"Is there anything else I can do to help?"

"Can you monitor the region for unusual Pokémon sightings?"

"That's how we have eyewitness reports," he explained, "Pokédex readings of Pokémon in the wild go to a database."

"Are there Mewtwo sightings in the database?" I asked.

"The database is restricted, both in who has access and which Pokémon sightings would be reported. I get access to legendary Pokémon because their activity could conflict with warp tile activity. Mewtwo is not a known teleporter, so his records are not open to me. I could do it the old fashion way and just send emails to trainers in the region."

Agents in the field…

"Papa, this whole event could be a trap for me. My communications may be monitored and people like you could be exposed and implicated in some elaborate sting."

Papa sighed. "Are you being paranoid again?"

"Maybe; but I definitely want to be cautious."

"That is unusual for you," my father teased.

"If this is a trap for me, I don't want to bring the whole family in with me."

"If it is a trap, you know that the whole family will bring you out. Good luck, be careful and I'll somehow explain this to your mother."

I made another call. "Grandma, can I borrow the jet?"

"Yes dear. Do you want me to send the car?"

"No, I'll get to the airport on my own."

I ended the call, released Natu from her Pokéball, grabbed my bag and flew from my penthouse to the airport. From my apartment to the local airport, where grandmother leased a jet, should take about a half an hour if I flew in a straight line. I pushed myself to be there in twenty minutes. Nicolai, the pilot, was completely nonplussed as I touched down next to the plane.

"Where are we heading ma'am?" he asked.

"Hearthome City in Sinnoh," I replied as I climbed aboard.

I dropped my bag on the floor and secured myself in the comfy seat. The smell of fresh brewed tea made me looked around the cabin. "Grandma?"

"Tea dear?" she asked.

I swiveled the chair around and asked, "What are you doing here?"

"It's my plane dear and I was going to Sinnoh for a business meeting."

"Strange coincidence," I muttered.

The engines throttled up.

"No it isn't. There are always business meetings somewhere. I show up at random to keep them on their toes. Now that we have sometime, can you explain what is going on?"

I did to the best of my ability.

"If this is a trap, for you or Giovanni, then Sinnoh is a good location," concluded Grandma Lilith. "The energy spike at the Pokémon Center is strange too. I don't think that it is a coincidence."

"I need to go there first," I stated. "If this is a trap or not, there must be something at that Pokémon Center."

"Should we land nearby?"

"Oh let's do this the spy way."

"You want to jump out the door? If you do you'll hit the wing. I already asked."

"I'll teleport away from the airplane and fly to the ground."

"In that case, you should get ready. We'll be over the Pokémon Center in five minutes. Nicolai will is slowing the plane for a landing at the airport, but we are still 20,000 feet up and the air temperature is thirty below."

I zipped up my ski suit and curled around little Natu.

"Face the other way dear."

I turned around and braced myself for the shock. Natu found the teleport path, and I followed it outside. The cold, high speed wind stole my breath. I put up a protective shell of energy, but lost my ability to fly. I fell into a spin.

Natu instinctively pushed against my shell to stretch it in a line. I followed her lead. The buffeting became less random, but I was now spinning along one axis. Natu seemed immune to the dizziness and projected wings of psychic energy. I focused all my energy through her.

When my mind returned to my body, Natu had landed us in a snow covered meadow. A moment later I gave my breakfast to the undergrowth.

"Nat?"

"Some things about human nature I just can't overcome," I replied, "I think my weak spot is my stomach." I looked about to regain my sense of place, but winter in Sinnoh resulting in overcast skies and snow everywhere. Thankfully my Pokétch had reception, so it gave me the directions to the Pokémon Center. I floated over the snow until we reached a plowed road that led to the Center.

While Natu perched on my shoulder, we stretched out our senses and found… nothing unusual. There were the thoughts of two trainers focused on the battle of their Kricketot and Swinub. Nurse Joy was nodding her way through paperwork and an afternoon nap. The trainers were on the restored battlefield behind the Pokémon Center where Kricketot pulled out a gutsy win with Bide. I came into their view and clapped. "What kind of Pokémon is that?" I asked.

"Kricketot," replied the trainer who was puzzled by my lack of knowledge.

"I'm Yuki from Kanto. We don't have Kricketots or Swinubs," I greeted.

The boys introduced themselves as Wally and Neil.

"Are there any other unusual Pokémon in the area?" I asked while I probed their minds.

The boys recounted the last three days of exploring. None of their memories contained a Mewtwo or Team Rocket. "There was a rare Meowth," recalled Neil but he couldn't remember where he saw it.

Wally didn't remember it at all.

"Would it be okay for Natu to look into your mind?"

"What?"

"We could go into your memory and help you remember," I offered.

"Try it," urged Wally just to make his friend nervous.

"Okay," gulped Neil.

"Think of all the images you've seen of a Meowth: front, back, sides… What is distinctive about a Meowth?"

Ears, he saw the ears, the back of the head and the glint off the charm, but he couldn't see below the neck. Meowth was… sitting a chair…bleacher at the Hearthome Pokémon Contest.

"Wow." Neil recalled the Contest like it happened last hour.

I ran an internet search for Pokémon Contests and Meowth. While I searched for clues, a message came in from Yuki, "You didn't give Looker your address. Here's a forwarded message."

Maybe I overestimated the resources of the International Police.

The forwarded message was a list of latitudes, longitudes and times. One location did correspond to this Pokémon Center. The little screen on my Pokétch wasn't sufficient for all this information; I needed to buy a map. Natu and I entered the Pokémon Center which smelled of fresh paint and wet plaster.

"Chan SEY!" shrieked the Pokémon as she recognized me.

"What is it?" demanded Nurse Joy as she rushed into the room. "You?"

"I came in to buy a map of Sinnoh," I explained.

Nurse Joy grabbed a box of pamphlets and shoved me to the door. "Here, take what you want." Obviously Nurse Joy didn't have fond memories of my last visit.

I walked a little bit then searched the box for a map. Wally and Neil were arguing tactics. After I removed the map, and buried the pamphlets on girl's hygiene, I brought them the box and asked, "Could one of you take this box in to Nurse Joy?"

"Sure."

I walked in the direction of Hearthome City as I marked the map with Mewtwo sightings. In the distance I heard glass breaking: Wally tripped and threw the box through a sliding glass door. Nurse Joy took this as evidence that I was a curse.

The Mewtwo sightings looked at first to be random. I connected the dots in order of the sightings. Still it seemed random.

A talking Meowth, Jessie, James and Pokémon Contests; how were they connected to this? An internet search revealed that a few Meowths have appeared on the contest stage. Some video clips were dated ten years ago. Before I left my Pokétch coverage area, I searched for Pokémon Contests for the next three days and plotted them on my map. I flew towards Hearthome City as I thought.

"Natu do you have any thoughts or premonitions?"

She didn't have any.

The Coalburg contest was today. Potato Valley contest was in two days. If this was going to be a trap for me then I would be expected to return to Potato Valley.

"Natu?"

"Potato Valley is where I got Kirlia," I explained. "Then I took him to Oreburgh City where he evolved into Gallade. There weren't any sightings in the Oreburgh area."

We made it to the Hearthome Bus Terminal in time to catch the late bus to Potato Valley. There was only one seat left so I had to sit next a pleasant woman who was going to Potato Valley to visit her latest grandchild.

"Do you have children of your own?" she asked.

"I have plenty of students, but no children of my own," I replied.

"You're a teacher?"

I nodded.

"Which level?"

"Actually I'm a gym leader, but I'm here undercover," I whispered.

"Really?"

"I can't talk about it," I replied with a wink. That comment sent her mind into a second whirlwind. She fell asleep with thoughts of grandchildren and international criminals. I meditated and searched the area for any strong, psychic, Pokémon thoughts. What I found were sleeping Pokémon, hibernating Pokémon, and nocturnal Pokémon looking for a meal.

The bus reached the station in Potato Valley early in the morning. Despite the hour, the snowy village was bustling with activity for the upcoming contest. Streets and sidewalks were being cleared of snow and the contest hall was like a hive as workers entered and left.

I went to the Pokémon Center and found the lobby filled with children in their sleeping bags. I quietly made my way in and found Nurse Joy and some of the locals preparing breakfast for an army. "I'm sorry," apologized Nurse Joy, "We have to share rooms and sleep on the floor.

"That's understandable," I remarked. I telekinetically arranged my hair to match her style and asked, "Do you need help?"

She sighed, "Yes please."

Help: The first order of business was to get the children fed. Because of their numbers, they were fed in shifts. First the early risers were fed. Second the remaining heavy sleepers in the lobby were fed. Lastly the coordinators who slept in the dormitory were roused and fed.

The immediate second order of business was to manage all those coordinators and the limited amount of bathroom services. We had to resort to shifts.

Once a coordinator had taken care of their basic needs, then they were busy preparing their Pokémon for the next day's contest. Thankfully most coordinators were experienced enough to take care of their Pokémon. Still, there were minor injuries and several had to be told not to overdo things in the cold.

Before the chaos of lunch started, I registered with Nurse Joy under a false name for the contest then took Froslass outside. "Have you been watching Zoey give coordinator lessons?"

Froslass nodded.

"So you understand that the principle is to showcase yourself and your moves in the most stunning way possible?"

She asked if I understood that as well.

"Fair question," I replied.

A female coordinator had her Pachirisu cover itself with static electricity so it sparkled.

"That is a downside of your ghost attacks," I mentioned to Froslass.

The Pachirisu coordinator noticed me and said, "Hi, I'm Patty. Are you going to enter the contest tomorrow?"

"Yes, but this is my first contest."

"The first one is the scariest, but it gets better. This is my fourth contest."

"I mentioned to my Froslass that electric attacks are great for a contest, but how can we show off ghost attacks?"

It was worse than Patty knew: since Froslass was trained to be an assassin, she was conditioned to hide her attacks. Froslass did have some charm that she could use.

"I love how Froslass looks like she's wearing a kimono," gushed Patty. Patty did a few steps of a local folk dance.

"Froslass: copy Patty." Froslass followed Patty through the motions of a children's folk dance. "You are enjoying this," I teased.

Froslass gave me a coy smile and a slight blush. I noticed that she was wasn't as much following Patty's movements as she was remembering the moves from her own past. Pachirisu tried to follow in his own fashion.

"So how can we use this in the contest?" I asked.

"This is a snow dance. So if Froslass can make it snow…"

Froslass smirked and made it snow around her.

"Is there music that goes with this?"

Patty took her Pokégear from her pocket and said, "Sure. Do you want a copy?"

"Yes please." After I imported a copy of the music, I asked, "Are we keeping you from practicing?"

"We're fine." She recalled her Pokémon and released a Snorunt. "I've been thinking about if I should raise my Snorunt to be a Glalie or a Froslass."

"I think that a Froslass would make a better dancer," I joked. "Do you want to dance too little one?" I played Patty's song on my Pokétch and Snorunt followed Froslass and Patty through the motions.

"Wait a minute please," I asked as I paused the music. I moved to where the judges would be relative to Froslass. "Froslass, give me a low powered Ominous Wind."

She did.

"Lower than that please. I want the judges to feel the cold dry wind of winter, but don't hurt them."

Froslass used her attack again.

"I didn't see anything," mentioned Patty.

"Froslass was trained to make her attacks as subtle as possible. In a long battle you wouldn't know that your side was getting damage until it was too late."

"But you only have five minutes in the battle stage," replied Patty.

"I didn't expect to get past the appeal stage on my first attempt."

"Nonsense," scolded the little girl, "If you don't expect and prepare for success, then you'll never be successful."

Froslass and I exchanged glances over Patty's bold statement.

"Well said Patty. May I use that someday?"

"Huh?"

"As an experienced coordinator, how would you rate Froslass's performance?"

"She dances well."

"So what needs improvement?" I asked.

"The snow doesn't look right. I mean it looks like snow, but it isn't showy. Can she change it so it catches the lights?"

Froslass quipped, but I mentally cut off her rant with, "Not in front of the little ones. Be nice."

"Froslass says that she know twenty types of snow, hail and sleet," I interpreted for Patty.

"You understand what she says?" asked Patty.

Froslass said under her breath that I was a 'show-off' and followed up with a snow effect she called, 'snowblind'.

"You need to be seen to get appeal points," remarked Patty.

"Try for a hail with small, sharp hail stones," I offered. After Froslass made the change, I joked, "It's like the inside of a disco ball."

"Wow!" remarked my contest senior. "Are you sure you've never done a contest before?"

Froslass spent the next hour trying variations of Hail and Ominous Wind. My attention was split between watching Froslass and listening to the thoughts of the children. Had any of them seen Mewtwo or Meowth? I could have asked them all directly, but I wanted to be cautious. Besides if I showed them all a picture, then all of them would be actively thinking about the image and I could be blindsided if the real one appeared.

As lunchtime approached, there was one thought that swept through the children and their Pokémon: hunger. So I went into the center and helped with the next meal. Thankfully we just distributed box lunches. "Is it like this every year?" I asked Nurse Joy.

"The Potato Valley Contest has been building in popularity since a new ski resort was built. Unfortunately there isn't enough room at the resort for the regular guests and the Pokémon coordinators."

"What happens here in the summertime?"

"We grow potatoes."

"That's it?"

"There are a few dairies."

"In other words, the only time you need hotel rooms is in the winter and they go idle the rest of the year. What happens to the fields in the winter?"

"They're covered in snow."

Note to self: Snow festival and need for temporary housing. Consider portable buildings. Need a summer location and ability to move to be viable; or needs to be mostly made of unused local materials and stored during the summer.

Lunchtime was followed with more practice sessions and crisis management. Costumes needed repairs, props were getting lost and broken, Pokémon were getting hurt and coordinators were getting nervous. I went to the town for a sanity break. I found a little coffee shop and went in. I let Froslass out of her Pokéball, ordered some pastries, tea and milk.

"You remembered that dance from your youth," I mentioned. "Did you grow up around here?"

Froslass looked about the café and out the window. She replied with a shrug.

"It's changed a lot over the years, hasn't it?"

Froslass asked if they still grew potatoes.

"Okay, that hasn't changed at all," I replied with a laugh.

Away from the Pokémon Center, the background thoughts were of the standard, city life, white noise that I was used to. I opened my senses for any thoughts or images of Team Rocket, Mewtwo or Meowth. There were none.

"I'll have to go back soon and help with dinner and putting the children to bed," I sighed.

Froslass declared that she'd hide in her Pokéball.

After helping Nurse Joy examine and feed all of Pokémon, I slumped to the floor of her room.

"You don't have to sleep on the floor," offered Nurse Joy.

"Thank you, but I can't afford to sleep yet." I crossed my legs and sat upright. "I still have psychic work to do. See you in the morning." I released Natu and Rotom. Natu roosted on my shoulder, while Rotom followed me as my astral form left my body and searched for signs of Mewtwo.

We flew over the sleepy town, and then we searched the contest hall and found nothing unusual. Everything seemed like a simple farming town. No signs of massed armies or brooding super Pokémon.

We returned to Pokémon Center. Nurse Joy was in a light sleep. Young trainers slept; some deeply and some restlessly. Their minds teemed with dreams of glory and disaster. I found a spot of floor near an electrical outlet. I released my massaging recliner from Rotom's ball capsule. Rotom possessed the chair and bathed in the electricity. I slept in the chair and enjoyed Rotom's bliss.

Morning: I am a morning person when I feel that I have the world to myself and I can watch others as they wake. Morning in a Pokémon Center packed with coordinators on the day of a Pokémon Contest is different. Everyone was in a state of panic. I got up and helped Nurse Joy with serving breakfast and last minute checkups.

"Doesn't someone come and help you on contest days?" I asked while examining a Snover.

"Usually my cousin comes over from the next village, but she just had a baby girl. Shouldn't you get ready to enter the contest?"

"Froslass is ready and I'm registered; what's left to do?"

"Are you going to wear that old ski suit to the contest?"

I looked down at the warm and comfy clothes and then at Nurse Joy. "Can I borrow one of your uniforms? I don't want people to know that I'm here."

I entered the contest as Nurse Black: my hair was done up as Nurse Joy had hers, and I covered my face with a mask. Wearing the surgical mask was empowering. Froslass felt liberated too as she pushed herself to give her most poised and beautiful display of Hail. We loved it. The crowd loved it. After taking our bows, we waited backstage to see if the judges loved it.

"Lass."

Froslass's reminder sent me back to work looking for clues of Mewtwo. I spotted him! He was about to follow a red-haired woman onto the stage, so I tackled him. Rather I attempted to tackle him; he does have twice my mass, a low center of gravity and lighting fast reflexes. As a result I crashed into his arm.

The redhead Jessilina was starting to react. I pressed my Nurse Joy image into her mind and said, "Mewtwo is too sick to go on. Hurry, go out and use another Pokémon!"

She did.

"You can't go out there!" I project into Mewtwo's mind.

That action made him flinch as he held me at arm's length.

"We have to leave, now!"

He was puzzled and formed a mental image of him pulled between Team Rocket and me; I wasn't on the winning side.

"You don't understand human speech anymore?" I asked rhetorically.

He shrugged.

I made a mental image of me surrounded by my psychic Pokémon.

Mewtwo started to relent.

The audience was clapping.

I made a mental image of the moon, ran it backwards two cycles and showed an image of an intimate moment that I shared with him.

"?"

I showed Mewtwo an image of him landing at my poolside, one of him in my bathtub and another of him wearing a floppy hat and playing with bonsai.

He returned an image of me leading him to that Mewtwo.

"Yes!" I nodded and tugged him toward the exit. Still, he was reluctant to leave. As I pulled I mentally drew the hierarchical structure of Team Rocket with Giovanni at the top and his desire to put Mewtwo in chains.

Mewtwo didn't believe it.

I visually recounted what I knew of his origin: born and raised in a lab, restrained in power damping armor, escape, his own island with new clones, Mew and Ash changing his mind, wandering and gardening.

We left the contest hall. I teleported my travel bag to my hand, but didn't have time to change. I could sense Jessilina's confusion and burning rage.

I took the snowsuit out of my bag and donned it as I flew over the snow. The bright pink color of the suit stood out against the white snow so I changed course for the Pokémon Center.

Mewtwo easily kept up as he bounded along in the snow, but he was curious about how I could fly.

I tried to remind him that he could fly and inspired me to do the same. He recalled many images of him using his jump assisted levitation, but no flight.

Whatever that was wrong with his memory had to wait because we needed to escape. When we arrived at the Pokémon Center it was thankfully empty. I linked my Pokétch to the Pokéball transfer machine but got an error: "Unable to transfer, please try later."

For Mewtwo's benefit I imagined Giovanni cutting off the flow of Pokéballs and our escape route. I raced to the linen closet and took two white bed sheets and tore a hole in each one to make ponchos. As I put one on Mewtwo he immediately grasped the idea of camouflage.

"Chansey?"

"This will pay for it," I offered as I stuffed a 5000 Pokédollar note in her pouch. "We need as much dry Pokémon food and water as we can carry." Chansey led us to the pantry. I handed Mewtwo a twenty kilogram bag of food; he took it to the linen closet and made a satchel for it out of another bed sheet.

With our limited supplies secured and simple disguises in place, we fled the Pokémon Center and headed southwest and around the center of town. Away from the town, Potato Valley was cultivated and flat. There were patches of trees, but none were numerous enough to call a forest. We darted from one tree patch to another then rested at the third one.

Mewtwo gave me a puzzled expression.

I pulled my Sinnoh map from my bag and indicated where we were. Next I made a mental image of Sinnoh relative to Kanto and Saffron City. In Saffron City I showed images of Grandma, Papa, all of my Pokémon, and all of the Pokémon at the gym.

Mewtwo nodded, but mentally asked about either time or distance to Saffron City.

"Time: day." I followed with an image of the sun crossing the sky, setting, the rise and setting of the moon and the return of the sun.

"Month:" I demonstrated this with the moon going through its four phases.

"Year:" I showed a cherry tree go through the four seasons.

"Here to Saffron will take one month." I embellished the statement with appropriate images.

He wasn't happy.

I motioned to the map and thought of a perimeter of red Rs. "If we cross the perimeter then we can be in Saffron City in one day."

That prospect encouraged him and he was ready to move again. We sensed nothing out of the ordinary, so we raced across the snow to the distant foothills of the Coronet mountain chain.

We almost reached the edge of the valley, when a van caught my eye. We hid in the rough, shallow region between the road and field. It was a "news van" with all of its antennas and dishes. Unless the people of Potato Valley were so bored that snow is a news story, then this van had no reason to be here, except to find Mewtwo.

"?" pondered Mewtwo.

I mentally envisioned the white van full of Team Rocket members.

He viewed the van as one of the red R picket that surrounded us and asked if fighting was an option.

I weighed our options and looked for another van on the horizon. The answer came from the sound of a helicopter that was behind us. I shifted position so I could watch. The helicopter was circling the last patch of trees that we rested in. After the third circle, it slowly tracked its way toward our position. Tracked… we never covered Mewtwo's tracks in the snow!

I rushed towards the van and Mewtwo followed. When we were within a hundred meters, I released Froslass from her Pokéball. "Use your Blizzard and Hail on that helicopter!" I ordered.

The moment that the Pokéball opened, the van burst to life. Several minds inside were checking instruments. I landed in the snow and prepared an Aura Sphere. Mewtwo took my side and readied his own. We hit the van where I figured the motor was. Whatever it was that we hit was torn off of the van and landed in a snowy field across the road. The other part of the van spun a little.

The helicopter pressed on despite Froslass's assault. I psychically grabbed the helicopter to force it to the ground. Team Rocket responded by releasing two Honchkrows and four Murkrows.

Instinctively, Mewtwo took out the lead Honchkrow with an Aura Sphere and Froslass battered the others with her Blizzard. This left the helicopter to me. Without Blizzard to fight, the helicopter lurched forward which sent me tumbling from the psychic backlash. I countered by releasing Alakazam and together we held the copter.

The helicopter buckled from our assault and the engine made an off pitch whine. At last it was on the ground, but it listed to one side and the rotor hit the ground and kicked up snow and dirt as it tore itself to pieces.

Despite the chaos, five Houndooms were sent by Team Rocket to assist the fallen Murkrows. The people in the van also recovered enough to send four Sableyes into the fray. They were going to bring us down with numbers.

"I'm open to suggestions," I mentioned to Mewtwo.

Mewtwo made a mental image of a Butterfree using Silver Wind.

I released Rotom.

[User Input: disengage ghost field dampers. Are you sure? (yes/no): yes]

I added my ghost energy to Froslass' Ominous Wind. Rotom added his Discharge. Alakazam and Mewtwo moved in close as the maelstrom of Ghost and Electric energy circled us. The flying Pokémon held back, so Mewtwo attacked them with his Aura Sphere. The Sableyes and Houndooms braved the Ominous Wind, but with every hit, our side got a little stronger. Our attack grew in strength until the frozen soil was kicked up by the winds and battered the opponents.

When it was over, Team Rocket and their Pokémon were unconscious, I was drunk on power and we stood in the center of a crater of destruction. Though I did it, I didn't understand how Ominous Wind could be so powerful. As I stood speechless, the Pokémon indicated that another helicopter was on the horizon. I recalled Alakazam, Rotom and ordered Froslass to cover Mewtwo's tracks as we fled into the hills.

We fled on into the night. Between us and Saffron City was the immediate obstacle of the Coronet mountain chain. What little I knew of mountain chains was that they had peaks that people ski off of and passes where people crossed them.

For the sake of speed, we followed a trail that Froslass claimed was used by pilgrims and wood gathers. At one point the helicopter got close, so I stopped the group while Froslass covered our heat signatures with her Blizzard.

Mewtwo wanted to ambush the copter and felt disappointed in the running. I pressed him into running until something changed. What changed was reaching the pass. We didn't because there was a squad of Team Rockets guarding the pass, and a large helicopter arrived with more. We were out of their line of sight and relied on our psychic and ghost senses to spy on them and found there were more humans, Pokémon, Dark Pokémon and equipment than our first encounter.

Since they had shelter, we climbed higher on the hillside and dug a snow cave for our own protection. Inside we ate and drank some water. The incident with the van showed that they could detect a Pokéball opening, so I couldn't let out my other Pokémon or recall Froslass. The most uncomfortable part was that I couldn't use Rotom to power a little space heater.

Mewtwo curled into a ball for warmth.

"Froslass, why am I cold if I'm wearing all of this?"

My Ice type assassin explained that wet clothes kill; dry clothes save.

I zipped open the ski suit and saw that I still wore the dress that I borrowed from Nurse Joy, and that it was soaked with perspiration. I opened my bag, grabbed some dry clothes and changed.

As I undressed, Mewtwo teased me with an image of bare skinned humans and how vulnerable we are to snow, ice and sharp rocks.

"Your fur isn't doing much for you either," I teased back. "And Froslass can't go to a sunny beach without melting." I drew mental pictures to go with my comments. Once dressed, I looked through the content list on the first aid kit and found a "space blanket". I unfolded the tiny package into a shiny blanket big enough for the two of us to huddle under.

So we did, despite Mewtwo's less than heartfelt protest to the contrary. He wanted to attack before he froze.

"Helicopters use a lot of fuel, so they can't fly forever. If the troops are undisciplined, then they'll get bored and lighten their guard. We could induce a blizzard to use it for cover to sneak through."

Mewtwo wondered how big.

"That's my line," I teased as I gave him a little poke in the ribs.

"?"

Froslass gave me a rare, innocent stare.

"Never mind." Mewtwo did have a point: a strong, yet localized blizzard would be an obvious sign that we were here.

"Froslass, can your Blizzard cover a large area so it looks natural?"

Answer: yes. It would slowly wear them down and if she could work at it for a day, she can prepare an avalanche.

"Can you do it from here?"

She nodded and closed her eyes. Her spirit wandered outside to join the wind and snow.

Her presence outside was vague and hard to sense. Team Rocket's activity levels didn't change, so I assumed that they could not sense her.

Mewtwo still shivered, so I rubbed some warmth into his arms. His arms were already warm, but I asked, "Cold?" anyway.

"No."

"You're nervous," I observed. "Don't be, we can handle them. I would prefer stealth, but we can win the fight if it came to one."

Mewtwo recalled my memory of our intimate moment as we just held each other in the bonsai garden.

"But you don't remember it," I countered.

"Remember?"

"It happened in the past." I demonstrated past by running the bloom cycle of a cherry blossom backwards.

He envisioned the cherry blossom's bloom and reversal while simulcast with a moon changing its phases.

"Yes."

"Past," he said as a full moon grew darker on the left side. He reset the moon and said, "Future," as the moon grew darker on the right side. He envisioned us meeting in the contest hall under a full moon and the intimate moment during a quarter moon. "Future."

"I meant past. I don't watch the moon enough to know which way it goes."

I got warm from blushing. I noticed that Mewtwo's blush started with his second "neck" and worked its way up to his head. We tried to sit as far apart as survival and the reach of the blanket would allow. I was the first to break the silence with a giggle. "The strongest Pokémon and human psychics are blushing like children."

He got the joke.

"What are your earliest memories?" I asked.

He recalled hatching from an egg and being alone in the wilderness. The wilderness was a warm forest with plenty of fruit to eat. There were many other Pokémon in his youth, but none like him so he felt like an outsider. His world had everyday struggles so he grew strong quickly. Too quickly in that his abilities and power grew faster than his wisdom and he became a bully.

He was confronted by a Gardevoir and Infernape that were led by a Meowth. That team easily beat Mewtwo in a battle and explained to him that his actions hurt others and led to more strife. Meowth's team was only there to stop Mewtwo from picking on the weak and innocent. Gardevoir projected into Mewtwo's mind a sample of the pain and suffering that he caused others. Mewtwo argued that he was treated the same. So was Meowth, but he chose to stop the cycle of pain, before another bully was created.

Shamed, Mewtwo withdrew a mountain top where he only fought when challenged. Time passed and Mewtwo realized that he had an innate need to battle and grow strong, yet his psychic sensitivity kept him from being heartless. Eventually he started to issue challenges to other strong Pokémon and eventually to a pair of Pokémon that saved the world.

His challenge was met by a Piplup and Chimchar. The pair fought well, but not well enough. A day or two passed after they left in defeat before Piplup and Chimchar returned with a third Pokémon. The third Pokémon was another Mewtwo. Mewtwo left the mountain to follow this new Mewtwo and hopefully find others of their kind.

"You saw another Mewtwo?"

His mind was a swirl of memories: sight, smell and touch.

"You loved her, didn't you?"

"Love?"

I used my intimate memory as an example.

He blushed again.

"Did you want to do that?"

"Yes."

"What happened?"

Mewtwo remembered her having headaches and strange dreams until one day she disappeared. She went into a room and was gone.

I nudged him as I said, "I'll help you find her. Now, get some sleep, I'll keep watch first."

As Mewtwo entered a light sleep, I took stock of the situation: either this was a Mewtwo different from the one I know, or he was mentally reprogrammed. Both ideas were outrageous. Mewtwo was created in a laboratory, how could that be duplicated? Mewtwo was more powerful than I, how can anyone reprogram him? If they did, why let him go? Maybe it was another powerful Pokémon that reprogrammed Mewtwo.

If he was reprogrammed, they did an excellent job with the female Mewtwo details. It must have been a she, because all the little details were more feminine than Mewtwo's. I needed more information if I was to make sense of this.

Time passed. Froslass returned. She reported that the helicopter had left, and Team Rocket was hiding indoors.

I checked the time: sunrise would be in two hours. "Where will the sun be?"

Froslass pointed.

"So if we wait to attack, the sun will be in our eyes. If we get past them, then the sun will be in their eyes."

Mewtwo wondered why there were thoughts below us.

Froslass explained that Sinnoh has a vast network of tunnels and caverns below ground. Many people play in them as children.

"We didn't know about them," I pointed out. "Could we get past the Team Rocket with these tunnels?"

The answer: maybe. Maybe Team Rocket hasn't anticipated this and put guards down below. Maybe the network of tunnels here was connected to the network on the other side of the mountain.

"Let's increase our chances with a little distraction," I offered. I took an empty Pokéball and inserted it into one of Rotom's ball capsules. With the ball in my hands, I meditated to slowly bring enough psychic power out to form my old doppelganger: an image of me at four years old, in a pretty dress, wide hat and evil smile.

"Time to go play," I explained with a wicked smile of my own.

She took the ball and skipped out of the snow cave.

"I hope you are willing to carry me for a while," I asked of Mewtwo.

Most of my consciousness was controlling the doppelganger. She took a position on the hillside above the Team Rocket camp. There she opened the Pokéball and released my recliner, whose mass should set off all the Pokéball alarms in the camp. As the Team Rocket grunts left their shelter, she pelted them with large chunks of snow and ice.

Mewtwo and Froslass had dug into the underground system and were almost past Team Rocket's position when they stopped. Hunter J and her Pokémon blocked our path.

"You're late," she said as she pointed her wrist device at us. "I expected you yesterday." Hunter J was flanked by a Drapion and Spiritomb. All of their minds were shielded from my probes, yet Hunter J had something non-human about her.

"You've changed," I observed.

She gave a slight shrug of her shoulders. "Soon I'll be very rich; what else matters?"

"You assume that Team Rocket won't betray you."

"Right now, Team Rocket is at my disposal." She kept one wrist device pointed at us while she turned slightly and shot at a group of Team Rocket grunts. The female of the grunts was encased in gold.

I sensed that Mewtwo recognized the grunts.

"Since I don't want to show favoritism in my choice of hostages, I have something for you Sabrina."

A pair of Hunter J's grunts brought out golden statues of Neil and Wally.

"Since I'm psychic, Team Rocket and your grunts are also at my disposal," I purred. I focused my psychic reserves to a point between Hunter J and her grunts. I mentally instructed my team, "Gallade and I will hit Hunter J. Mewtwo hold off Drapion. Natu will use Miracle Eye on Drapion. Froslass, Alakazam and Golduck will take care of Spiritomb. We'll go through the middle and take Hunter J hostage."

"Sir, behind you!" warned a grunt as he saw my little doppelganger materialize.

"Not very original is it?" asked Hunter J.

Hunter J couldn't mentally hear the words, "Play catch with me," as the doppelganger hit her in the back of the head with an Aura Sphere.

I dissolved the doppelganger. As my psychic reserves returned I psychically pushed myself as I leapt up and over Hunter J's line of fire. I released Gallade and we hit Hunter J with dual ax kicks to her shoulders.

Drapion staggered from the force of Mewtwo's Aura Sphere. After Natu used her Miracle Eye, Drapion howled as two Psychic attacks finished him.

Golduck and Alakazam messed up their combo attack. Alakazam hit first with his Shock Wave and then Golduck used Soak. Froslass followed up with Blizzard, which barely fazed Spiritomb. Thankfully my Pokémon were faster than Spiritomb, so the follow up attacks of Shock Wave, Water Pulse and Ominous Wind knocked out the opponent.

Hunter J was unconscious on the cavern floor, I ordered Gallade to smash the wrist devices with Brick Break, while I psychically smashed grunts into each other.

Our team regrouped around the hostages, while thrashing the human opponents. Mewtwo dashed over to the golden Team Rocket grunt and brought her and her companions to our group.

I could sense that the Team Rocket members outside realized the deception and were making their way here, so I collapsed their path to this cavern. "You two, strip and tie up Hunter J so she won't cause us any trouble," I ordered of Mewtwo's friends as I tossed them the bed sheet I used as a poncho.

"Yes ma'am!" they agreed with a lustful glee.

"Natu and Alakazam open your minds. Are teleport paths being diverted?" Without exposing our intentions, this was a hard question to answer. But Natu and Alakazam both felt that teleport paths were compromised.

"What we need is a tracer to send," I concluded. I looked to the likely candidate and asked, "What the hell?"

Meowth and the grunt named James had indeed stripped and bound Hunter J, but they bound her with the best example of kinbaku that I have seen in years.

"You told us to," whined James.

"Have you at least bound her so she can't get away?"

"She's ain't goin' nowhere," declared the Meowth.

"Then let's move on," I replied and punched James in the nose.

"Ow! Why did you do that?"

"So you'll focus on the pain," I explained.

James was confused and thus did not focus on the pain.

I moved his hand away as I examined his nose. Something kinky in his mind reacted to the juxtaposition of cruelty and caring that I displayed.

I shook my head. James tried to smile. I punched his nose even harder.

"My nothe! You bwoke id!" honked James.

"Hold that thought," I teased as I teleported him toward the snow cave. I could feel the path being changed. His pain stood out brightly against the confusion of the other grunts.

"This way!" I declared and teleported a section of the cavern wall to James' location.

"Huh?" replied the startled Meowth

"We're moving the hostages away from this cavern and towards Hunter J's carrier."

Meowth tried to protest, "But…"

Mewtwo put a paw on his former partner.

"Okay."

I tore a path through the cave system and teleported the debris until Hunter J's team stopped diverting the teleport paths. "Meowth, Gallade, Natu, Rotom and Froslass: take cover in that passage and protect the hostages. The rest of us are going to bring down the roof."

We did. We pulled out pillars and walls and used them to barricade the advance of Team Rocket. Hunter J's carrier landed on its side as it crashed into the cavern. "Tear the ship apart. They should have other Pokémon captive on board, so take care if you see them. Otherwise," I ripped loose a three mat area of the ship's skin and hurled it out of the crater, "let's give everyone a reason to never mess with psychics!"

I vented my rage against the machine. Mewtwo and Golduck vented their frustrations. Alakazam kept his distance and watched out for James or other grunts. When he did find a grunt, he bound them with metal scraps.

Time slowed as my mind sped from the power I unleashed. Hull, deck plates, personal gear and random machines were sent flying. Grunts that met my gaze were terrified. Even James was paralyzed with fear and forgot his broken nose. When there was nothing left in the cavern to destroy, I levitated out of the hole and looked for the rest of Team Rocket. I pulled the rotors off their helicopter. They fled. I mentally grabbed a van and slowly crushed it. They scrambled out of the shattered windows and fled on foot.

When I felt that Team Rocket was in full retreat, I floated back to the others and staggered. Alakazam had found five Pokémon that were incased in gold, two of which were a Kricketot and Swinub. I probed Hunter J's crew for a clue on how to undo the golden prison. They only knew that Hunter J would control it with her wrist devices. I tried to probe Hunter J's mind but was blocked by a strong mental shield.

I ordered Rotom, "Be careful of traps but look through the wreckage. I don't know what to look for, but look anyway and bring some small samples that we can take back." A faint dusting of snow fell into the cavern as I regained my strength.

"Umbd," honked James.

"Oh yeah, let's at least fix that," I replied. I synchronized with Alakazam and induced Recover on James' nose. When I finished, James squealed with joy.

"Yeah great, now what about Jessie?" asked Meowth.

I tried the same tactic on Jessie, but Recover wasn't enough to overcome the prison. "Natu," I called, the little one perched on my shoulder. "Alakazam: induce Recover. Natu: help me to teleport Jessie here."

The golden prison was similar to the doll prison that I used years ago, so after the third attempt Jessie was free and furious. James and Meowth stopped her before she took her anger out on me.

"What's going on down there?"

I looked up and saw an Officer Jenny. "Please report that Hunter J and Team Rocket had joined forces to steal rare, psychic Pokémon. They were stopped. Also send for a van to collect some suspects including Hunter J."

"But…"

"Do it, please. The International Police should be monitoring your radios and may send some support."

While the officer made the call, Jessie was calling Hunter J names and using the ropes to induce rope burns in very sensitive regions.

I freed Kricketot and Swinub before I worked on Neil and Wally. I figured that the Pokémon were easier to keep calm and would help Neil and Wally get over this trauma. We levitated the four of them out of the hole and turned them over to an officer with a squad car. "These boys were taken hostage by Hunter J, please look after them."

I returned to the pit, where Hunter J was getting a lot of looking after. Officer Jenny and two others were marveling at the complex knots that bound the Pokémon thief. Officer Jenny was a little obvious in her attempt to get the James' contact information.

Note: the double, independent, crotch ropes were a sign of true craftsmanship. As were the nipple twisting knots. Not nipple pinching, the knots would actually twist each nipple a quarter of a turn in either direction. I discretely snapped a few photos with my Pokétch.

Mewtwo kept to the shadows and behind my Pokémon. Alakazam kept the officers' attention diverted. My Pokétch had just enough reception to get out a message to Saffron Tower to start the recall program.

While all the officers were distracted as they 'helped' Hunter J out of the cavern, but not out the ropes, I teleported us home and collapsed.


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Of Two Minds

"Morning!" I was shaken. "Sabrina, you need to get up." I opened my eyes and saw Yuki shaking me, but I couldn't read her thoughts.

"Yuki, my head is full of static. You'll have to tell me what's going on."

"Your speech is garbled like you were drunk. You've been asleep for a day. Agent Looker and the Sinnoh Police have made several calls. Your mother brought over soup. There are two Mewtwos in the living room and they may have a fight."

"I'm dreaming."

"Get up," she urged as she pulled off the covers of the bed. Reluctantly I crawled off the bed and was helped into a bathrobe. Minutes later I staggered into the living room where there were two Mewtwos staring at each other.

Yuki whispered into my ear, "They've been hissing and groaning since the other one arrived."

"Are you two going to fight?" I demanded, but I sounded like a drunk.

"No," replied one of them.

"Good, because I need breakfast and a bath," I slurred.

Yuki helped me towards the bathroom, but she quietly protested, "Are you going to leave them there?"

"Mewtwo doesn't lie and I couldn't stop them if they did fight." When in the bathroom, I peeled the robe off of my sticky, dirty skin. "Just hose me off, please. Wait a minute, two Mewtwos?"

Yuki used the shower wand to rinse off some of the grime. I barely noticed that she used cold water. "The other one arrived a few minutes ago," explained Yuki. "The first one just hung around the apartment and made friends with the Pokémon since yesterday."

I didn't care about soap; I just wanted to crawl into the tub and sleep. Fortunately the tub had a section designed for that. Yuki woke me as she brought in a cup of tea and rice balls. After a long pause, Yuki said, "Sorry, I forgot about your head. One of the Mewtwos left."

"Which one?"

"They all look the same to me," replied Yuki.

I sipped the tea. My head throbbed as I tried to remember what tea meant to me.

"I think the gardener left, because he put on the shabby coat and hat."

"Did he say anything?"

"Not to me."

"I think my mind is broken," I muttered. I dragged my left arm out of the bathwater and examined my Pokétch which still had power. "Or maybe the interface is broken."

"Should I call Stanley to fix it?"

"It can wait."

"What happened to you?"

"Everything is fuzzy. I remember going to Sinnoh, running away and a big battle."

"I still think you're having an affair with Dawn," teased Yuki.

"Who?"

"You're scaring me Sabrina."

"…Dawn: coordinator from Sinnoh… Mesprit… Zoey… naked… It's like I can see her in images but I can't see her mind. Are there lobotomy scars on my head?"

"That isn't funny."

"I feel like a chunk of my mind is missing. Maybe I had a stroke."

"We need to get you to a hospital!"

I nodded, but I didn't want to get out of the tub.

Yuki rushed off for help and a moment later Mewtwo came and lifted me out of the tub. He understood how to use a towel, but differed to Yuki in getting me dressed. Yuki and I used the warptile for a direct trip to the hospital…

"Sabrina?"

"Grandma?"

"Yes Sabrina."

Everything was foggy.

"Where are we?"

"We are in your mind. Your body is asleep."

"What happened to me?"

"We don't know. The doctor did some tests and you didn't have a stroke. You're fidgeting."

"Just counting my fingers to find what works," I replied. I opened my eyes and saw grandma like I had never seen her before: an old woman. "What's wrong?"

"I'm happy that you're awake."

"Are you lying to me?" I asked.

"I've pushed you too far. I'm sorry Sabrina. I'm so very sorry. I shouldn't have let you jump out of the plane without a parachute. Your mother is right; I let you indulge too much."

"I've pushed myself since I was four; you didn't do this to me. Why can't I lift my arms?"

"Stanley came by to fix your Pokétch and left you with a loaner. They're rather large and heavy."

"He does that." I looked around the hospital room. There was some commotion outside. I strained to hear/sense it, but couldn't understand.

"Mr. Looker is arguing with the doctor."

After a while the shouting stopped. Dr. Marcus entered and said, "You're awake again; good."

"I can't sense anything," I explained. "What is wrong with me?"

"I don't know," admitted the doctor. "We've done tests and there is no brain damage. You have a high white cell count that could indicate an allergic reaction or poison."

"I remember a Drapion."

"We'll run a test for poison. If I had access to your mental diary maybe I could find if there is some psychological change. How do you feel?"

"…I don't feel anything."

The doctor grabbed my hand and squeezed.

"I feel your grip; but I don't feel emotions. I should be afraid or sad, but I feel nothing."

"This happened before," recalled the doctor, "Back when you were a teenager."

Grandmother nodded in agreement.

"But I had my ability then. Can I go home?"

The doctor sighed, "I need to get the test results for Drapion poison and possibly give you an antivenin. I rather keep you here for observation. But, Agent Looker will probably get his warrant in a few hours."

"He wouldn't dare," seethed Lady Lilith.

"I have to go home," I insisted.

"I'll rush the tests," replied the doctor as he dashed out the room.

"I could get lawyers here if you want them," offered my grandmother.

"I have a v.i.p. waiting at home. I think Looker is after him."

"Can we tell him to come back later?"

"He isn't very mobile."

I couldn't feel anything, but I assumed that grandmother was tense enough for the both of us.

I faded in and out of sleep until the doctor returned, with needle in hand. After the shot, the doctor and grandma rushed me out of the hospital room and to the warptile for home.

Yuki met us at the warptile and helped me into the apartment. "I suppose that Agent Looker wants Mewtwo," guessed grandma as we staggered up the stairs. She nodded to Mewtwo, who was playing with the baby Pokémon.

"Wrong Mewtwo," I mumbled.

"What?"

I was placed on the sofa.

"There are at least two of him. Yuki saw them."

"Did this one trim my bonsai?"

"No, this is the one that followed me from Sinnoh."

"You insisted," corrected Mewtwo.

"I couldn't let you get caught, and I can't let you get caught now."

"You said I would be safe here with these humans."

"Sabrina?" interrupted my grandmother.

"What?"

"What were you doing just now?"

"I was talking to Mewtwo."

"But…" Yuki was going to argue, but something cut her off.

I returned my attention to Mewtwo, "This is my grandmother Lilith; she's more fearsome of a psychic than I am. My best friend Yuki is also a psychic."

"Are you in pain?" he asked.

"My head hurts and my abilities are not working," I explained.

Grandma and Yuki wandered off.

"Is this normal for you?"

"No."

"Is it permanent?"

"It could be a side effect of Drapion poison, but we don't know why it would affect my abilities, or how long it will last."

"I'm very sorry, if I had not come here then you wouldn't gotten involved."

"Why does everyone apologize?"

"Because they're sorry?"

"That was a rhetorical question," I commented.

"Questions should be answered."

"You're as thick as the other one."

Mewtwo patted his midsection and countered, "I'm in shape." Little Eevee poked Mewtwo in the stomach, so Mewtwo tickled the little Pokémon. Gastly floated into the room to join the fun.

"You are better at humor," I noted.

"My job requires a certain amount of humor. A ticklish Eevee is easy."

Eevee squealed with laughter, as did Gastly.

A hand was placed on my shoulder. "Sabrina, Mr. Looker is probably after Mewtwo," stated grandma. "Yuki has a plan for you three to go hide until your mind clears. I'll stay here and deal with the police."

"What's happening?" asked Mewtwo.

"We're going into hiding, until my abilities return."

"What about my search?" asked Mewtwo.

"I'll think of something," I offered him.

"But first you must be able to think," he added. "You helped me escape; now I'll help you." He put the baby Pokémon down and then lifted me onto his back. "This seems familiar. Is your Substitute still running free?"

"My what?"

"That little girl that you created with your mind."

"I hope not," I replied.

"What's that dear?" asked grandma.

"I had to use my little girl doppelganger to distract Team Rocket."

"Yuki, please take care of Sabrina."

"I'll do my best." Yuki had her travel backpack on and led us to the warptile downstairs.

"Yuki, we need to see Professor Oak," I whispered.

"Can it wait?" she asked.

"I made a promise; but you're in charge."

I passed out.

When I awoke, I was in grandma's jet.

Mewtwo was fascinated by the view out the window.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"'Where nobody knows you name; and they're always glad you came…'" replied Yuki in a singsong voice.

"I don't understand," I replied.

"Reef Island."

"Why?"

"We can get there without leaving a trail, Professor Orchid has resources that may help you with your head and we'll be outside the jurisdiction of the Kanto Police."

I nodded in agreement.

"If this is what flying is like, then I want to learn," admitted Mewtwo.

"A Mewtwo inspired me, so maybe I can teach you."

"Will we have time?"

"If I could think clearly enough to function, I could confront Agent Looker and resolve the issue."

"Who is 'Looker'?"

"He's the member of the International Police who asked me to go and find you."

"Shouldn't I thank him? This is much more exciting that being with Team Rocket."

"I don't want him to take you away."

"So he's the same as Hunter J?"

"No… he isn't supposed to be. Hunter J takes Pokémon and sells them. Agent Looker may have orders to take you, if his superiors decided that you are dangerous and need to be taken into 'custody'."

"Being 'dangerous' isn't a crime," Mewtwo protested. "I've never arrested anyone on the grounds of being dangerous. Robbery, theft, assault: yes."

"You're a law enforcement officer?"

"I do contract work for law enforcement."

"Bounty hunter?"

"Pokémon in my field belong to Pokémon Rescue Teams."

"Was your Mewtwo also part of a Rescue Team?"

"She recruited me to join her organization. In my world space and time are unstable. This leads to other problems and Rescue Teams are formed to solve them. But she thought that there had to be something better. Many Pokémon profit from the instability, but no one was investigating the real cause or looking for a solution. She recruited psychic Pokémon to help coordinate teams within her guild, and to provide possible insight to the root causes of our troubles."

"What kind of instabilities?" I asked.

"Sometimes time would just stop. Several Pokémon were noted for moving back and forth in time and changing timelines. Space would distort in some cave systems, so the floor plan would change from moment to moment."

"How can Pokémon function?"

Mewtwo waved to the contents of the jet, "It's what you're used to. Some of us functioned rather well and made a career looking after those who couldn't."

"What is it like when these floor plans change?"

"I doubt you would notice, because no one ever saw walls move. But when you entered a cave, it may not be as it was the last time you entered it. Your home has two floors. Imagine that every time you changed floors, the number of rooms on each floor changed."

"I'd have a hard time finding my things," I admitted.

"Item retrieval is major share of our business."

"If I put something down, go downstairs and back upstairs the item I put down wouldn't be there when I returned?"

"Probably because some Pokémon picked it up," replied Mewtwo with a little laugh.

"So not only would my shoes be missing, the foyer would be gone too?"

"Most likely, yes."

"Most likely?"

"If nobody took your 'shoes', then they would still be in your foyer. The problem is that you can't get to the foyer."

I was reclining in my seat and noticed that I wasn't wearing shoes. I wiggled my toes, to make sure that they still worked.

"I used to live in one of these unstable systems. With practice I learned how to return to the floor that was my home."

"So if Saffron Tower was your home system, you could return to my apartment every time you went upstairs?" I felt like I was losing ground in understanding Mewtwo.

"Correct," replied Mewtwo.

"And a Pokémon wouldn't take your shoes while you were gone?"

Mewtwo wiggled his own toes and said, "I would not claim that."

"Sabrina?" asked Yuki.

"Yes?"

"What have you been doing?"

"Talking with Mewtwo. Is that wrong?"

"You were speaking gibberish."

"No, I was talking about his job and his world."

"Was she?" asked Yuki.

Mewtwo blinked at Yuki then looked at me.

"Was I making sense when I was talking?"

"Yes," he replied carefully. He turned to Yuki and nodded.

"Is she talking or is she using telepathy?"

Mewtwo looked to me for an explanation.

"Am I speaking with my mouth or am I using my thoughts?"

"Both."

"Sabrina, you are speaking like a Pokémon. You've been using 'Sa', 'bri' and 'na' over and over and in various combinations."

"What am I saying now?"

"You just said, 'What am I saying now?'"

"Did you understand what I said to her?" I asked Mewtwo.

"From the tone it sounded like a question, that's all that I could interrupt."

I looked to Yuki and she quoted, "Sa sa na brina bri brisa na?"

"Did you understand what she said?" I asked Mewtwo.

He shook his head.

"How long have been able to talk like a Pokémon?" asked Yuki.

"I don't remember." I turned to Mewtwo and asked, "When we met, did I talk to you as I am now?"

"No."

"When did I change?"

"This morning."

"… So what were we talking about?"

"Caves were the floors change when no one is looking," prompted Mewtwo.

"That's too complicated for my head," I confessed. "When we met, you said you were looking for another Mewtwo, was that the Mewtwo in my living room this morning?"

"No," Mewtwo replied with a sigh. "He is this world's Mewtwo."

"And you are…?"

"A Mewtwo from another world."

"Yesterday I thought that you were him," I admitted.

"I didn't notice a resemblance," he observed.

"Horn, tail, two spines," I listed.

"I thought that you were a psychic."

"I was yesterday," I stated.

"But you didn't notice the difference in our minds."

"I noticed the differences in your mind, but I couldn't believe that there were two of you."

"Three, hopefully."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Horn, tail, two spines," he listed.

"Sorry about that."

"It's fine, you all look the same to me: no horns, no tails and one spine."

I frowned.

He winked.

"That building you live in is impressive," he commented.

"You have buildings?"

"Rarely are they more than one level high."

"My tower is seventy levels high."

"Your tower?"

"I own it. I have an entertainment business and a hotel business. Both require buildings of that size."

"Hotel?"

"When people come to our city to visit, they need a place to stay. I provide that place."

"Seventy floors would hold a lot."

"Ding."

"What's that?" asked Mewtwo.

I looked at the light and struggled with the symbolism.

Yuki turned around in her chair, looked at us and asked, "Do you two have your seatbelts on?"

Seatbelt, that's what it meant. I checked the buckle and tension of the belt and then looked at Mewtwo. Yuki was looking at him as well. He sighed, sat in the chair and fastened the belt. Neither the chair nor the seatbelt looked like they matched his tail and body structure.

The plane landed. As the plane taxied about, Yuki released my Alakazam from her Pokéball. "We need you to teleport to Granny Orchid's store. I hope you remember where it is."

"Just look for your boyfriend's thoughts." I offered.

"Like I have time for a boyfriend," argued my oldest Pokémon.

"All you have to do is ask," I replied. "You know that."

"You can't run that gym and all of those kids without me. That's why I have to live there instead of the apartment."

"You two can bicker later!" hissed Yuki. "The pilot will refuel then leave so we need to escape now."

"I hope I don't wind up with a boyfriend like that," muttered Alakazam before we teleported away. We landed in a stack of boxes of a storeroom. A shelf of small bottles rained down on my head.

An older woman opened the storeroom door and looked at us in surprise and disbelief. "You're supposed to make an appointment," scolded Granny Orchid, owner of Tropical Passions. "I have customers upstairs."

"This is an emergency," whispered Yuki. "No one can know we were here and we need to teleport to Reef Island."

"Go hide in the basement and I'll send a message to Ruth."

The basement contained a display of specialized clothing and…

"Door handles?" asked Yuki.

Mewtwo gripped a brass handle and tried to turn it. "Strange," he commented, "Most of your doors slide and don't have handles. Why stock such items?"

"I don't think that they are for sale. It looks like a private collection," I observed.

"What's wrong?" whispered Mewtwo as he caught me.

As the pain in my head passed, I replied, "Something about what I said…"

"I don't understand." Mewtwo looked to Yuki for help.

"What?" she asked.

"I said it looked like a private collection."

"Snerk"

"What?"

"That was funny," explained Yuki.

I was trying to blink past my headache.

"Private collection; a collection of privates," she prompted.

"Why is she laughing?" asked Mewtwo.

"I made a joke: 'Privates' means human genitals; that which we keep private."

Mewtwo's blush was halfway up his second spine before he asked, "Why?"

"'Why are they kept private?' or 'Why have a collection of them?'" I asked for clarification.

"Both."

"I can't think of an answer to either at the moment."

"I'm sorry, but the basement is occupied with items that need to be shipped," explained Granny in a voice loud enough for us to hear through the door.

A quieter voice replied, "Good. Just because I'm your wife, don't think that I'm going to wear those kinky things, Mr. Ash Ketchem."

…

Mewtwo was shaking me awake as an Alakazam was being led downstairs.

"Huh?" asked the Pokémon as he looked us over.

"We need you to transport us back to Ruth," I explained.

"But what about the cargo?" he asked.

"Cargo can wait sweetie," replied my Alakazam.

"Uh, okay."

The Alakazams made quick work of teleporting us to a dock.

Ruth's Alakazam teleported away.

Mewtwo looked over the situation and the approaching woman in the white lab coat.

"I thought you humans kept those parts private," he whispered to me.

"Most of us do," I replied as I noticed that Prof. Orchid was only wearing a lab coat, and didn't bother to close it.

"We need to hide," explained Yuki. "We also need to find out why Sabrina's abilities don't work."

"Jealous boyfriends?" asked Prof. Orchid.

"The less you know, the better," replied Yuki.

"Who's that Pokémon?"

"Like I said, the less you know the better."

"What are they talking about?" asked Mewtwo.

"Yuki's explaining our needs for privacy and assistance with my mental state."

Prof. Orchid's jaw dropped as she stared at me.

"What's wrong with her?" asked Mewtwo.

"People don't normally talk like Pokémon," explained my Alakazam.

"But now that I can, I'm surprised about your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend."

"He must be the most dense, most clueless Alakazam I've ever met."

"He doesn't get out much to push his abilities," sighed Alakazam.

"So he's just the delivery boy," commented Mewtwo.

"Is that why you did him: pity sex?"

Mewtwo flinched.

"No," protested Alakazam, then she became sullen.

"I'm sorry," I apologized as I put my arm around her shoulders. "After we get settled we can have a long talk."

My Pokémon looked nervously at me and asked, "Sa bri…?"

…

I awoke in a strange bed. At first it seemed like a sterile, hospital bed, but it was a Pokémon Center bed. "How are you feeling?" asked Dr. Joy.

"I don't feel anything," I replied.

Mewtwo and Yuki were waiting nearby.

"My instruments tell me otherwise. You were poisoned. I pulled several Toxic Spikes out of your feet. After a rather frantic game of charades your companions explained that you were in a fight with a Drapion."

I nodded. "Why didn't I suffer the usual effects of poison?"

"The 'usual effects' of this poison is mind numbing pain," explained Dr. Joy.

"I don't feel it."

"Mind numbing: as in your mind went numb and shut down," explained Yuki as she came over.

"Your body is trying to fight the cellular damage of the poison. My instruments show that the pain level from the poison is so high it would cause all but the highest level Pokémon to faint."

"I've been fainting," I recalled.

"Well, I've administered an antivenin. If your recuperative powers continue for another day, you should be fine."

"I thought my doctor gave me an antivenin," I muttered.

"In your case, two shots are better."

"So are you feeling better?" boomed Prof. Orchid as she entered the room.

"Fortunately I'm not feeling anything," I replied.

"I think her sense of humor is coming back," commented Yuki.

I looked at Yuki.

"You weren't making a joke?"

"I destroyed a portable building, helicopter, two vans and Hunter J's flying fortress. All of this took place after I would have stepped on the Toxic Spikes. I must conclude that the poison and the pain must have affected my judgment and control."

"Are you saying that we are in danger?" asked Orchid.

"Do you have some really strong pain killers?" asked Yuki nervously.

"I've got sedatives that will calm a horny Gyarados," remarked Dr. Joy.

"They don't work on me."

Prof. Orchid coughed and winked to Joy.

"What should we do?" asked Yuki.

"Isolation."

"I've got a rumpus room with padded walls," offered the Professor.

"I should be at least five miles away from other humans. Ten miles would be safer."

Yuki looked from me to Mewtwo.

"I don't know if it would be safe for Pokémon either," I commented.

"What would be safe?" he asked.

"I'm suffering from Drapion poison. My human feelings, emotions and psychic abilities are being blocked by a massive amount of pain. I've been treated for the poison."

"But there is a danger that your mind will slip, before the healing is complete," he concluded.

"I need to be isolated."

"Is there somewhere nearby?" he asked.

I turned to Professor Orchid. "Is there a remote island I can use?"

"We can use," corrected Yuki, "I'm going too."

"No," I replied.

"I'm your best psychic, I can help," she argued.

For a brief moment, I sensed her concern, but a spell of dizziness and nausea swept it away.

"Yuki stop. Calm your mind," I ordered. "I need to heal the physical damage first. Keep Alakazam with you, she'll be my link."

"Do you know what you are doing?" she asked.

"Yes, because I have done this before. Now I require a location and transportation."

Orchid and Joy left. Yuki remained.

"You said you did this before," prompted Yuki.

"When I was young and obsessed with getting stronger, I entered this emotionless state to boost power to my rational side. My emotions gave rise to my doppelganger that was mischievous, spiteful and dangerous. I turned on my own mother. If anything I am more dangerous now that then."

"Jean told me about how you used to be. I don't want you to go back to that."

"Until I recover, I can only try to make rational decisions. I leave the rest to you."

The Professor rushed into the room and announced, "I have a boat coming to take you to an island that should work."

I stumbled off the bed, but Mewtwo caught me. He lifted me onto his back.

"Bring her back," asked Yuki.

Mewtwo hugged her with one arm, as he said, "I swear that I'll bring her back."

"Shall I interpret?" I asked.

Yuki smiled and shook her head.

"When I get back, remind me what it means to be human."

Yuki nodded with a tearful smile.

Security Officer Jen jogged out to the waiting boat; Mewtwo followed.

As the boat's engines roared, Mewtwo shouted, "Do you need anything?"

"Just keep talking about your world."

"Shouldn't you be concentrating on this world?"

"The last thing I want to do is think about myself."

"Very well."

"You were talking about floors within floors, and I was getting confused."

"Many Pokémon in my world get confused and lost. Some get angry and commit crimes."

"Did you find the cause of the problem?"

"We didn't. We formed a new guild and recruited as many psychics as we could to better improve communication between teams and discover the cause of the space distortions. A rival guild had found the cause of temporal distortions, but we didn't have time to share information."

"Does your world have Celebi?"

"Yes, but the only one we interviewed was concerned about the time distortions."

"I thought I read once that time and space is the same thing," I recalled.

"I doubt Dialga and Palkia would agree to that."

"You've heard of them?"

"I met Dialga and insisted that he send me here."

"Insisted?"

"I doubt that he'll give me a second chance if this trip isn't successful. He probably won't let me go back home."

"If there are two Mewtwos, then there must a second Dialga on this world who could send you back. Are you feeling faint?"

"No, but I do feel tired."

Mewtwo was looking over the side of the boat.

"I guess you don't have boats in your world."

"No. Water Pokémon have the sea and flying Pokémon have the sky."

"There are ways for you to explore under the water in this world."

"Will it be as exciting as flying?"

"Yu… yu…Yuki," nausea and a throbbing headache stabbed at my sanity, "Would think so. I'll defer to her on that."

"…Sabrina?"

"Professor?"

"We're almost to the island. I hope you really wanted to be away from people."

"Why?"

"Because this island is a barren rock and the only residents are Wingull and Pelipper."

"I hope they don't mind us being there."

"That's part of the problem." She pointed towards a white rock that climbed into the air as we approached. "Getting on the rock is probably the trickiest part."

The island had sheer cliffs. Any ledge or foothold had at least one nest on it.

"How high can you jump?" I asked Mewtwo.

He rubbed his chin as he thought.

"The other side is a little lower," offered Prof. Orchid.

"How much lower than that?"

"A few meters."

"What a bargain," I replied.

The boat motored around the island while Mewtwo looked for a safe path. He waved to Ruth when he found one. I climbed onto his back and he leapt for the cliff. He landed on a narrow ledge. A tiny Wingull looked in surprise as Mewtwo straddled the nest then jumped again for the top. Mewtwo hopped about when he landed since his right foot was about to crush an egg.

When we finally stopped dodging the locals, Mewtwo complained, "This would be much easier if I could fly."

"I thought as the passenger, I should complain."

"But that would be ingratitude."

"Then… thank you for the lift."

"Should we look for a 'nesting' site?"

"Watch it!" grumped a local Pelipper.

"Let's at least find a less crowded part," I offered.

Thousands of suspicious and curious eyes looked at us.

"Excuse me," replied Mewtwo as he picked his way around the nests and wandering chicks.

I looked at this strange new world and realized that I was the stranger in an ancient world. All around us were the sounds of a busy city: Parents calling for their children, children begging their parents for food, parents arguing over chores, neighbors complaining about space, etc.

"Are you evolving?" asked Mewtwo.

I looked at myself.

"You are changing color," he observed.

"I'm getting sunburned because there is no shelter from the sun. Alakazam, if you can hear me, I need a big umbrella."

Moments later she appeared with a Girafarig Beer patio umbrella.

"Thank you."

She found placing the umbrella difficult due to the rocky terrain; so the three of us walked about looking for a hole in the ground that would support an umbrella, yet wasn't occupied with a nest.

"Not your typical vacation spot," commented Alakazam.

"I'd like to say, 'I've had worse', but I don't remember."

"You can't remember or you never had a worse vacation?" asked Mewtwo.

"You were frostbitten once," reminded Alakazam.

"You don't have much luck with the cold. Are you a grass type?" teased Mewtwo.

"I was attacked by Froslass who was trying to carry out a centuries old plot against the royal family of Saffron City."

"What's a royal family?" asked Mewtwo as he tested a hole with his foot.

"When a large number of people gather, we tend to need a form of government and leadership. In a village of a hundred people a village elder will suffice. But if there is a large city like Saffron with millions of people, more levels of government are needed. The position of chief executive and leader of defense and emergency forces has been passed down through my family for generations."

"How much is a million?"

"Imagine a hundred copies of this island and all the bird Pokémon."

He looked about and was squawked at by a baby Wingull who caught his eye. "That's a lot. Yet these Pokémon don't have a government."

"Sure they do, they have a true democracy: One bird, one vote, one peck. Each one is responsible for feeding themselves and their family. If a threat arises, they share the same objectives and act in unison for mutual defense."

"Sounds ideal."

"Unless you're an outsider or you don't have the same level of ability as the others."

We were being followed by an impressionable Wingull chick that scratched at depressions as it mimicked Mewtwo.

"These bird Pokémon are hunter/gathers, they only need enough land for an egg or two. Humans are farmers, so they need more land to grow food. A government exists to protect that property, food and land, from others who would rather take than farm."

"Law enforcement."

"Exactly; laws are made by a government to defend its citizens."

"So why is your family best suited to execute those laws?"

"Hmm?" prompted Alakazam.

"Our advanced psychic ability made us very capable in leading defense, discovering truth and guilt and knowing the will of the people. If a city of a million people is upset, it's rather hard for us to tune them out."

"Except now," observed Mewtwo.

"So you built Saffron Tower to keep the people happy?" teased Alakazam.

"Yes."

"Is that part of your entertainment business?" asked Mewtwo.

Alakazam snickered, "'entertainment business'?"

"I can carry the umbrella," I offered. "You don't have to stay here."

"I'm sure that the students would love to work for you in the future."

"Alakazam…" I growled.

"Considering the thoughts from the construction workers, I suppose there are several students and Pokémon at the gym that would be very successful entertainers."

"Stop it. I'd never want them caught up in that."

"A little late for Yoshi," she muttered.

"Isn't entertainment a worthy profession?" asked Mewtwo.

"Some call it the 'oldest profession'," added Alakazam.

"Wouldn't that be hunter/gatherer?"

"If I'm going to sit on a nest and lay eggs, someone better pay me."

"Alakazam!" I took a deep breath and exhaled. "Please return to Reef Island, now."

She looked from me to Mewtwo.

"I'll explain everything, now please go. I think my subconscious and guilt are working through you."

She handed me the umbrella and Teleported away.

"The oldest profession implies prostitution: the exchange of sexual favors for money."

"So if the female lays an egg and incubates it for food, she is employed in prostitution?"

"Prostitution involves sexual exchange outside of the family and is done for entertainment and not child rearing. Since it distracts from procreation, it is viewed as amoral. Because amorality trends to lead to other vices it is deemed illegal to some degree or another."

Mewtwo found a long crack in the rocky ground that made a suitable umbrella stand. He sat me on the ground before he worked the umbrella into the crack. After a long pause he asked, "If laws are created to protect property, why is prostitution, which is a form of commerce, a crime?"

"When two humans form a marriage, mating for life, each is considered the property of the other. Since prostitution violates that contract it is amoral, and becomes secretive. That secretive nature allows for criminals to compel others into service."

"Are you avoiding Looker because you have broken the law?"

"No. I made sure to comply with the law, and have the law changed enough to make the venture legal."

"If it is legal, why do you not wish for your students to be involved?"

"Have you noticed the smell?"

"I've been trying not to think about it."

"In a large city we need people to deal with the waste. If I was known as a person who made a business of dealing with waste, people would be amused at most. If it were known that I was involved in the sex industry, I would probably be shunned and lose my position as gym leader."

"Why are you involved and why do you stay involved?"

"Despite growing up in a gym full of students, I've always have been alone. My obsession with training caused me to shun distractions. When I was released from my obsession, by a funny Haunter, I learned how empty and undeveloped I was in other ways. I enrolled at Saffron University to learn as much as possible. But I couldn't understand emotions.

"One day I was in another city and needed a place to spend the night. It was a 'Love Hotel'; a hotel where couples go to have sex."

"Like a bonsai garden?"

"Not really. More like Reef Island, the resort not the laboratory. Anyway there were several couples using the love hotel that evening. That's when I realized what I was lacking physically and emotionally.

"Saffron Tower is a love hotel that can hold 5000 couples. The neighboring towers can hold even more. But that wasn't enough. I invented and installed technology that promoted sex."

"Do you believe that to be dangerous?"

"I do now. The first time I visited these islands was to find a woman whose obsession with sex and psychic powers caused problems for several people. I also developed a relationship with Yuki and it hurts her emotionally if I let the sex business distract me from her."

"She does care for you and is very protective," observed Mewtwo.

"Aaarg," I groaned.

"What's wrong?"

I scrambled to a wider part of the crack in the ground and threw up.

The Wingull chick waddled up and asked, "Food?"

"Sorry, that's not to eat."

Mewtwo came to my side.

"Too much sun," I replied. "Heat sickness."

"ALAKAZAM!" demanded Mewtwo. When my Pokémon appeared, Mewtwo added, "She needs medical treatment now!"

[Text deleted]

I opened my eyes, but I couldn't see. There was something on my face, but when I reached for it my hands were restrained by chains, according to the metallic sounds.

I called out, "Heh whoa?" something was in my mouth.

"There is a hood on your head to keep you calm and a gag in your mouth to keep you from biting off your tongue," explained Mewtwo.

"O tay."

"Will you be screaming or acting violently in the near future?"

"I hobe wot."

Mewtwo cautiously removed the black silk hood.

I tried to smile.

He removed the ball gag. (2000 Pokedollars and available in six colors and three flavors)

"This may be our second date, but I think this went a little too far," I mused.

"That was a joke?"

"Yes."

"Good. You've regained consciousness six times since we returned to the laboratory. That was your first attempt at humor."

"Attempt?"

"I didn't get it," he pointed out. "Our current theory is that you still have at least two functioning stingers embedded in your feet. Their size and dark nature have allowed them to escape detection. I used my limited experience with auras to find them. Once I explained this to the others, you were elevated to limit the poison to your feet. Because you broadcast your pain, the humans and Pokémon on this island were evacuated."

I looked about and said, "It doesn't look like I broke much."

"You were moved to this chamber because there wasn't much here to break. The good news is that I convinced the others not to cut off your feet."

"Thank you. What's the bad news?"

"I'm under arrest."

"Agent Looker arrived?"

"Yes, but through much arm waving and mental pictures, I explained that as a sentient being I deserve legal counsel and an interpreter, which is you. Since you were incapacitated, I refused to leave or answer questions."

"Agent Looker probably wasn't pleased."

"He was less pleased when he entered this chamber. Specifically he screamed in a high voice, cried, wet himself and crawled away."

"I have that affect on men."

"You had that affect on every being on this island, which is why it was evacuated. Yuki arrived via teleportation to change your dressings and give you medicine. She is very brave and loyal. When she treats you, she moves a screen to give you privacy even though we're the only ones here."

"Probably there is a hidden camera watching me to monitor my condition. Now, what is in my feet?"

"My experience with medicine amounts to field dressing injuries and dispensing berries, but I found your condition very odd. If you were poisoned, you should have recovered by now, unless there was an agent inside the wound that keeps supplying poison. I believe that Drapion's toxic spikes are still in your feet yet under the skin."

"Now that we know that there is something there we can have them removed."

"I tried to explain my findings to Yuki, I touched your foot but a surge of poison was released and Yuki collapsed from the psychic backlash."

"Could you remove them if you were instructed on how to use the correct tools?"

"I'm afraid my bulbous digits prevent me from performing fine motor skills."

"…You're all thumbs?"

He looked at his hands and observed the range of motion for each finger. He concluded, "Mostly thumbs."

"Hello? Is there a doctor in the house?" I called out.

A video screen came on and added illumination to the empty cavern.

"Sabrina?" asked Yuki.

"Are you okay? Mewtwo said that you collapsed."

"I got over it."

"He also tells me that I've have stingers in my feet."

"I know."

"Did you explain this to Dr. Joy?"

"Yes, but she doesn't have any robot surgeons that can remove them. No human would want to go within a mile of you."

"If my Alakazam used Miracle Eye first she should be able to Teleport the stingers out."

"I sent her back to Saffron City."

"Who Teleports you here?"

"Ruth's Alakazam. I think he's a little dense, so your pain doesn't get to him. What about Hugh? He could be the surgeon in the room while Dr. Joy monitors from here."

"I don't know how good Hugh's shields are," I countered. "His shields may be one way and only prevent others from reading him."

"Could we retune your bracelets to block the pain?" Yuki wave the clunky, green and black bracelets in front of the camera.

"How did they get here?" I asked.

"Stanley sent them… and Agent Looker posed as the courier."

There was a cough off camera.

"He's standing next to you, isn't he?"

Agent Looker came into view. "I'm sorry for your condition. Would you be able to answer some questions?"

"Agent Looker," I growled. "I went to Sinnoh, as you asked, found Mewtwo and prevented Hunter J and Team Rocket from taking him, in the process, I've been poisoned. Are you going to take responsibility for my condition?"

"I don't know how…"

"Then SHUT UP!"

Looker fainted.

"What did you do to him?" asked Yuki.

"I don't know; I'm chained to a wall."

"He's breathing," announced someone that wasn't Yuki.

"That was promising," commented Mewtwo.

"Huh?"

"When you yelled at the image, you focused your pain in one direction. If you could maintain that, perhaps someone qualified could remove the stingers."

"Did you get that Yuki?"

"Mew, mew, ew, me two…"

"Mewtwo said that when I yelled at Looker, I focused my pain in one direction. Maybe someone could remove the stingers when I focus."

"How long can you maintain that?"

"I guess it depends on how mad I am at Looker."

"I don't think that he'd want to volunteer," commented Yuki as she looked below.

"Joking aside," commented Dr. Joy as she stood up, "If I knew where the stingers were, I would need from ten minutes to an hour to remove them."

"So who do we call?" asked Yuki.

"My father."

Ruth butted in, "Agent Looker had communication to the mainland cut off."

"Then you need to convince Mr. Looker that my father is the authority on Teleportation and is needed here to remove the stingers from my feet."

"WAKE UP!" demanded Yuki off camera.

"Don't you know any psychics that are surgeons?" asked Joy.

"One of my former students is a mid-level trained empath who specializes in pediatrics. But she has limited shielding skills at best. My family doctor is a general practitioner whose psychic ability is to scold me."

Yuki's head popped into view and said, "You need it." Off camera she yelled, "Wake up you worthless little man!" Slapping followed. "Open communications now so we can save her life!" With a soft smile, Yuki said to me, "I think Agent Looker has agreed to open communications with the mainland."

A weak voice protested, "But…"

"Do as you're told or I'll spend the rest of my life doing things to your mind that you'll never be able to prove!" Yuki popped into view and said with a big smile, "Try to get some rest Sabrina."

The screen went black. When the last crackle of electricity faded, Mewtwo commented, "Protective."

"And assertive," I added. "She used to be such a shy thing."

"Bringing out the hidden strength of others is a sign of a good leader."

"Um?" I jingled the chains.

"The residents of this island did have a large collection of restraining devices. Unfortunately you damaged several of them before they used this substance."

"Chains, they are made of metal. Like the skin of a Steelix or Magnemite."

"Really? How do they collect it?"

"We dig it out of the ground in its natural form and process it with technology."

"It is very rare to see it in my world. There is a yellow colored metal that we use as a method of exchange. It also has some unusual properties with respect to the space and time shifting."

"I vaguely remember something about that in school… No, all I remember is that gold was a medium of exchange because of its rarity."

Mewtwo nodded.

…

"What am I suppose to talk about when I'm chained to a wall?"

"This facility appears to be built for that purpose," observed Mewtwo. "Is this a common medical procedure?"

"I think that Professor Orchid uses this room for entertainment."

Mewtwo walked the circumference of the chamber. He returned and gave me a little push. As I swung back and forth, he asked, "Do you find this entertaining?"

"I find the motion nauseating. Would you stop it please?"

"Sorry." He stopped my swinging. "I fail to see the entertainment value of any of this."

"Remember in the store there was the collection of door handles in the shape of reproductive organs?"

"Yes."

"I said it was a private collection."

"Yes, then you became rather ill when you realized that it was humorous."

"I think that collection belongs to Professor Orchid. I believe Professor Orchid is a rather enthusiastic patron of sexual entertainment, especially the more exotic and unorthodox means of stimulation."

"I thought that you were put into this room because of its lack of stimulation. Do you find those chains stimulating?"

"I find them annoying."

"We found them necessary, and they probably will remain necessary until the stingers are removed."

The monitor flashed on. "Sabrina?" demanded my father.

"Hi, I'm just hanging around," I replied. "Are you on the islands?"

"Yes I just followed the Pokéball Transfer Network."

"Oh…well, did Yuki tell you our idea?"

"Yes and I find all this excitement over a little stinger to be rather embarrassing."

"Then please don't take photos when you see me."

Yuki whispered to my father.

"You what?" he demanded.

"Sorry papa, I don't make a very good patient."

"That's true. We couldn't even get you to sit for a haircut. Dentistry was a real challenge."

"Good thing I had perfect teeth, I smiled."

"We had to drug your food and Teleport you to the dentist's office," he admitted.

"…Oh. That's awkward."

"The stingers," prompted Yuki.

"I'm ready to go," offered my father.

"I've got your 'bite stick'," offered Yuki. She showed that she was handcuffed to Agent Looker.

"I didn't say I agreed to this," he protested.

"Don't worry, my Pokémon should keep you from becoming a vegetable."

"'Should'?"

"If they don't, no loss."

"Miss Yuki?" asked my father.

"He got her into this mess, and he should at least share the pain," countered Yuki.

"I'm never going to see grandchildren," muttered my father. He took a deep breath, exhaled and said, "Go."

I focused my pain and frustration at Looker.

"Shout at him!" ordered Mewtwo.

"Looker, you're a spineless, trash picking, low-life member of the paparazzi!"

"Get angry and shout!" ordered Mewtwo.

"I hate you! I hate your whole, stupid kind! I hate your spying! I hate your lies! I hate your weakness! I…"

[Recording error no. 5248: energy overload. Resetting…]

"Sabrina!" shouted my father.

"What?"

"The stingers are out; you can stop yelling at the broken monitor."

"Oh. Where's that light coming from?"

"You burned a hole through the wall," he explained.

"Oops."

"Still, one monitor and a wall, that's rather restrained considering."

"Does this mean I can be unchained?"

"I don't have a key," he replied. "Besides, when you have control of your abilities, these chains won't be a problem. Now, I'm going home. I have one hell of a headache."

"Bye dad; say hello to mom."

Father waved and disappeared.

"Do you have a key?" I asked. But Mewtwo was asleep. "Anybody?"

I tried to sleep as I waited.

"Hello?"

"I'm over here." I replied.

The light level in the room dropped. I tilted my head as far back as possible and saw Yuki peeking through the hole in the wall.

"Hi, how do you feel?" she asked.

"Itchy, sweaty and I really need to go."

"We put diapers on you, so go ahead."

"I'd rather not."

"It may be a while," she countered. "Alakazam disappeared and the electronic locks got scrambled."

"And you burned a whole through my wall," added Prof. Orchid.

"And you broke my favorite pair of handcuffs," added Jenny.

"Our favorite," corrected Orchid.

"I told you that handcuffs wouldn't be enough," countered Yuki.

"Why is everyone shouting?" muttered Mewtwo.

"They're feeling festive," I offered.

"Are they going to open the door?"

"It's stuck."

"I'll get it," he offered.

Yuki saw the pale, blue glow of the growing Aura Sphere and shouted, "Get away from the door! Take cover!"

Mewtwo opened his mouth wide, yawned and stretched everything that wasn't involved in making the Aura Sphere. Finally he hit the door, but the only sound was a metallic ping, followed by a scraping crash as the door fell over.

He psychically undid my bindings and asked, "Can we get something to eat soon?"

When my bare foot touched the floor my mind was flooded with cold, rough, itchy, tickling, slimy feelings. "I'll get us something to eat, but I'm not walking."

He lifted me onto his back and we went out to watch the setting sun.

Yuki caught up and asked, "Now what?"

"Toilet, dinner, wheelchair and a cabin by the sea," I listed.

"I know a good place for dinner," offered the Professor.

"Cabin by the sea?" asked Yuki, she almost squealed.

"Cliff side, reefs or lagoon?" offered Ruth.

"Reefs," insisted Yuki.

"Privacy," I insisted.

"We can do both."

Jenny met us at the dock and helped us board the boat.

After I used the cramped facilities on the boat, I joined the others as we gently motored along. Jenny was reading off a list to the Professor. The Professor grew more sullen as Jenny read.

"Do you suppose the International Police will pay for the damages?" asked the Professor.

"Probably not," I replied. "What about your insurance?"

"The insurance is through the Pokémon Research Institute, so it only covers the … essentials."

"And not the unmentionables," I added.

Jenny gave a little cough.

I swapped my normal Pokétch for the advanced model that Stanley sent.

"Did you want to submit a detailed list of what was damaged to my lawyers?" I asked.

Jenny pointed to something on the list. Professor Orchid shook her head and asked, "Miss Sabrina, we helped you. Can't we work something out?"

"Sabrina?" asked Yuki.

"I can't make decisions on an empty stomach and we all need some rest. Tomorrow: go back to your lab, survey the damage and send me a list."

"Fair enough," replied the Professor. We entered a small harbor. There was a lighted path from the dock to a well lit cabin. A wheelchair was waiting on the dock.

"Smells good," commented Mewtwo as he broke his trance.

The cabin had a feast of barbeque and island fruit for the five of us. The ship captain didn't stay.

After dinner, Jenny and Ruth insisted that they sleep here, since they were now homeless. Mewtwo took the second bedroom.

He tested the mattress and asked, "Is it fresh?"

"What do you normally sleep on?"

"Leaves; mostly soft leaves and a few herbal leaves to ward off parasites."

"We just exchange the sheets with clean ones," I countered.

He climbed on top of the bed, pawed the sheets into a mound and curled around it.

"Goodnight, and thank you for all you did for me."

"Goodnight," he replied.

"I haven't forgotten my promise. We'll find her."

"Not without your rest."

I wheeled myself to the third bedroom. Yuki closed the door and smiled. After a pause she whispered, "You still can't hear my thoughts."

"Barely," I replied as she helped me from the chair to the bed. "I'm like a first year student; I can only read the most basic thoughts."

"I can do that," she purred.

"I'm also hypersensitive and itchy."

"Oh. That's no fun."

"That's why I got you a cabin by the beach."

"You're in no shape to go diving."

"Take Mewtwo."

"But…"

"Until I recover, I can't help him find his lost mate. So I need you to occupy him until I can recover. Please?"

"Fine. Not that I needed much of a reason to go diving."

"See? I started to remember the important things."

Morning came and I awoke to a cabin full of snoring. Yuki was snoring away as I removed her hot and sticky arm from my chest. I put on a yukata that had a seam down the back that made me itch. I got into the wheelchair and worked my way to the kitchen. As I rummaged in the kitchen, Mewtwo emerged.

"Morning," he mumbled.

"Did you sleep well?" I asked.

"When I wasn't awoken by the neighbors," he explained. "Why would two people share a room for the night, if they are going to make so much noise instead of sleep?"

"I suppose it depends on the noise."

He did his best to imitate moaning, shrieks and squealing.

"… Oh that. I think that they were entertaining each other," I explained.

"In the middle of the night?" he countered.

"They probably choose that time of the day for entertainment, and sleep through the morning."

"That's a waste of daylight," he grumped.

The tea kettle was starting to rumble.

"With artificial light, day and night don't have the same meaning for us as it used to."

I poured hot water into two cups that had green tea powder. I offered Mewtwo a cup.

He sipped at the tea in a familiar fashion.

I sipped the tea. For a brief moment, I focused on nothing but the tea. The aroma, flavor and texture of the tea filled my senses.

I put the cup down when its heat overwhelmed my nostalgia.

"You remind me of her. She also loved tea," commented Mewtwo with a touch of melancholy.

"I'm surprised that your world would have tea."

"I thought that it was just leaves in hot water," remarked Mewtwo as he stared at his cup. "She thought differently. She once tried to explain how she could sense everything that was involved in making the tea. She could sense the water emerging from the spring and the earth in which the tea grew. I thought she was imagining things."

"Does your tea taste the same?" I asked.

"It still tastes like leaves in hot water to me," he replied with a little laugh. "She wanted her tea made with gummis, which is a food that has properties that boost cognitive abilities."

"Right now I need to just restore my abilities. So I'm going to exercise my mind this morning, and Yuki is going to take you diving."

"Why?"

"Honestly; to keep you busy. You get really gloomy when you think of her."

"But…"

"Do you see these?" I asked as I pointed to my bulky Pokétch.

"Obviously."

"These are my link to a vast array of human information. While you try to have fun, I'll be searching for information."

He looked skeptically from me to my Pokétch.

I activated the Pokétch's projector display. "This is a map showing teleport activity around the world." I changed displays, "This map shows high level Pokémon energy signatures."

"I never saw her teleport," he offered as he stared in amazement at images that floated in midair.

"I assumed that. Now, let's give you something to do. Yuki! Surf's Up!"

Yuki burst out of the bedroom. "Take Mewtwo with you," I insisted. Yuki grabbed Mewtwo's arm and pulled him along outside and to the dock.

"What's going on out here?" mumbled Security Officer Jen as she poked her head into the kitchen.

"Yuki took my guest diving," I replied.

There were the thumps of footsteps racing towards the cabin. Yuki burst in, ransacked the living room and left with diving equipment.

"Will she come back later for her clothes?" asked Jen.

"No," I replied and sipped my tea. "I thought you two were going to give me a damage report. Or did you figure that some rich woman was going to bankroll your little venture so you two 'celebrated' last night."

"I thought your abilities were on the fritz."

"Your lovemaking kept the Pokémon awake."

"Oops."

"Where did you run off to?" purred Ruth Orchid as she stumbled into the room.

"That's no way to run a business," I remarked.

"Huh?"

"If you want my financial support, then I want a complete list of the damages. Now get dressed and get to work." The two, naked and well tanned women stared at me with open mouths. "You may have a thing called 'island time', but I work on Saffron City time, and you're behind schedule. Go."

The women scrambled back to the bedroom, grabbed their clothes and ran out the door as they tried to dress themselves.

I let out a sigh of relief as I dropped my mental guards and rubbed my feet together. I spent the morning sending messages to my father, lawyer, police contacts, Pokémon Research Institute, my R&D department, Professor Oak's laboratory…

"Sabrina?"

"Huh?"

"Do you want lunch?" asked Yuki.

"Lunch?"

"You've had your head buried in the computer all morning," she explained as she toweled her wet hair.

"Where's Mewtwo?"

"He's still in the shower," she explained as she looked over the room service menu.

Mewtwo walked into the kitchen, scratching and dripping water. "I think I have sand caught in my fur," he explained.

"Go back to the bathroom to dry off before…"

He shook.

Now I was wet and had a light coating of fur, sand and shampoo residue.

"Eww," I groaned.

"Clean up on aisle one," joked Yuki. Yuki dropped her towel onto the wet floor and soaked up the biggest puddles.

"Did I do something wrong?" asked Mewtwo.

"You could have done that where the water wouldn't damage anything," I remarked.

Lunch was soon delivered, so we sat outside in the shade of the palms and ate.

"How was your dive?" I asked Yuki.

"Great. I think I understand how to communicate with Mewtwo."

"Communication?"

"Mental pictures mostly."

"How's his swimming?"

"Better than yours," remarked Yuki. She exchanged glances with Mewtwo, who then smiled and give a little laugh.

"I can't believe that I'm the one left out of the loop," I said with a pout.

"She said because of my tail that I swim like a Feraligatr."

"Sure, a purple, horned Feraligatr, with no fangs, claws, scales or ridges."

"Water gun," quipped Mewtwo before he blew his drink on me.

"Ha ha ha! He's way more fun than the other one," remarked Yuki.

"Only because he's gotten me wet twice today," I returned.

Yuki pointed out, "I've been wet all morning. You decided to hide in the cabin. Speaking of 'work'; where's the Professor?"

"I sent her home to do some work."

Mewtwo's fur stood on end, and then relaxed. He turned his head to the path leading to the resort proper. Professor Orchid was waving to us as she approached. As she got closer, I could see that she had a clipboard in hand.

"You could have sent me a computer file," I remarked.

"The computers, or maybe the network, are broken," she remarked as she pulled up a chair and joined us.

"This will give me something to do after lunch," I remarked as I glanced at the first page.

"You're not going diving?" questioned Yuki.

"My feet itch like crazy and I don't have a tail for propulsion."

"Aww."

I snapped my fingers.

Mewtwo stared in wonder.

"I just remembered: Is Agent Looker a vegetable?"

"No," laughed Ruth. "But he does spend a lot of time at the bar, drinking to forget."

Mockingly Yuki said, "Did I scramble your brains, or you just happy to see me?"

Mewtwo was concentrating intently on snapping his fingers, with limited success.

I removed a pen from Ruth's lab coat, and started to make notes on her notes.

"What?" asked Ruth.

"A 'modified Devon Corporation Emotion-u-lator'," I quoted. "How was it modified?"

"Well the original Emotion-u-lator, only could convey happy and sad as emotions. We modified it to convey arousal."

"If you two are going to talk business then I'm going to work on my tan," remarked Yuki.

"Take Mewtwo with you and teach him how to snap his fingers. Please."

Yuki snapped her fingers for Mewtwo's attention. He left the table and followed her.

"Did you register these modifications with the Devon Corporation?" I asked.

"No. They loaned it to us, because we said we could add to the emotional range."

"You got as far as arousal, quit, and hoped that they never wanted a progress report," I concluded.

"Sort of…"

I scanned a few more pages of the damage report. "Custom executive desk?"

"I was a gift from Jen. There is a secret shelf."

"And?" I prompted.

"It was a secret shelf where Jen could hide and tease me."

I gave her a half blank/half accusatory stare.

"Jen could sexually tease me while I was on the video phone."

"Is it patented?"

"It was her idea, but I don't think she patented it."

I noted that. On page… ten I found, "Multichannel, biorhythm converter?"

"It's just some communication equipment that we were co-developing."

"Whom with?"

"They were anonymous."

"That could be troubling."

"Why?"

"Let me be blunt. As a research laboratory, Reef Island is a mess. You ask for donations of funding and equipment and your donors get nothing back. The only real discoveries that you make, you sell through your grandmother's store, because they're all sexual in nature. Probably the only thing that kept you afloat for the last few months is a letter from Professor Oak that is vague but positive."

"He did that for us?"

"Yes he did. 'Vague' unless you read it with a 'wink' to your world of double entendres. 'Cream of the crop', 'thrust forward', 'most basic of needs'… Did you 'do' him?"

"No, that was someone else."

"To sum up: even if I paid for the damages, you'd still be in the red and probably out of work in a year."

"So you're not going to pay for the damages?" asked Ruth.

I looked over the remaining pages of the report. Nothing interested me more than page ten. I circled her 'Multichannel, biorhythm converter'. "What I want is a two-way, long distance system to communicate sexual feelings, both physical and emotional."

"We developed half of that here," admitted Ruth.

"Which half?"

"The physical."

"What about the emotional part?"

"That was our anonymous co-developer. She had some experimental hardware that she sent us in a black box. She said that if we opened the box, the circuit would self destruct, so we never did."

"How do you know it's a she, if they were anonymous?"

"I'd assume a Midnight Cowgirl would be a she."

"Midnight Cowgirl?"

"That was her email name."

"Ha ha ha! After hearing that my feet won't be cut off, this is the second best piece of news I've heard all week."

"Goody?"

"Better. Professor Ruth Orchid, I'm willing to buy Reef Island, the resort, your laboratory, research and patents and hire you and your staff to be part of my research department."

"What?"

"I thought that was rather plain."

"Buy the island?"

"I'll have contracts drawn up that gives my company control of your research where it doesn't pertain to patented products for other companies, such as Devon."

"But, but…"

"Too good to be true?"

"Why should I say yes?" asked Ruth.

"Good, you've got your Grandmother's will. Because I own the largest company devoted to sexual products; as a result we are the only company that is willing to finance directly what you want to be doing."

"But…"

"Devon Corporation is the most likely competitor in this field, but you'd have to convince the owner. Besides, we're years ahead of them in market share."

"So, what do I do?"

"Besides sign contracts?"

"Yes."

"First, keep quiet. There will be a lot of non-disclosure forms to sign."

"I've been doing that for years," admitted Ruth with a shrug.

"Second, you'll have to learn how to budget your money and write a budget as well as proposals."

"I thought you were taken," quipped Ruth with a wink.

"Since I can't have you work with Devon Corporation, you'll have access to equipment from my various shell companies."

"Toys?"

"Only if you can explain in writing what you're going to do with it. By that I don't mean, 'Screw Jen's brains out'."

"I think I'd rather go broke."

"How about 'flat busted'?" I asked with a wink.

Ruth frowned. She looked at the circled item on page ten. Her frown turned to a sly grin. "You can't read my mind right now," she observed.

"True."

"What happens if I run for it, and hook up with Midnight Cowgirl and develop the technology? I'm sure that Devon Corporation could find other uses for it."

"You won't, because that black box contained my technology and Midnight Cowgirl is my employee."

"You're bluffing."

"I've seen her naked and we argued about a review of a vibrator."

"You're not bluffing," admitted Ruth.

"Will you sign?"

"I don't have a choice, do I?"

"Sure you do. But signing is the best choice. I was blunt before, so I'll be blunt again, you're a pervert. But you are a pervert with some very marketable skills. I just happen to control that market, so if you work for me directly we will both profit. If we become rivals, I'll profit less."

"I'd like to think it over."

"Please do. Also, if you can find your Alakazam, go talk with granny Orchid."

"Are you going to use her against me?"

"No. But I'm willing to bet that she'll want to use your new access to me," I replied with a wink.

"Huh?"

"Sorry, you only wink when sex is involved. I also wink when money is involved."

"Good, because I was trying to see you and granny, the special oils…"

"Ahem!" I cut her off.

"Um, you said that you would profit less. What about me?"

"You probably wouldn't profit at all. You haven't so far."

"I need a drink," moaned Ruth Orchid.

"You're an alcoholic, so no."

"How did you know that?"

"I've got access to a lot of information," I replied.

Ruth slumped in her chair.

"Ruth, one problem with my abilities not working, is that I lack tact. Normally I could be smooth, and convince you through your own values that this is the best deal you can get."

"Is it?"

"I believe so."

"What about my research?"

[Internet search input: Ruth Orchid research] The only return was a paper that was three years old with the title, "Sexual dysfunction frequency as a result of evolution speed".

"Have you been doing any research since your last paper?" I asked.

"Yes. I just get … distracted."

"Alcoholic, sex addict, toned body with an all-over tan, tropical island and two attractive women as co-workers," I listed and concluded, "Paradise, if someone else pays the bills; very distracting if you need to work."

"Yes," confessed Ruth.

"But you seem to be at your most creative when you design new forms of kinky pleasure. I want those designs. Some are much more valuable than others. Let me worry about the value of the items."

"But…"

"I had a professor who spent a week discussing the phrase, 'sitting on a gold mine'. A gold mine is a mountain of rock that may contain a handful of gold, or a truckload of gold. You don't know how much until you dig through the whole mountain. But digging requires time, money and specialized labor. Money is something that you struggle with and you can't risk what you have trying to market products. There is no guarantee that I will get a profit on what I'm spending here. I may just acquire some patents that will prevent other companies from getting my market share for three or four years.

"Gold mines have also been the basis of stories; usually object lessons in greed. You and your grandmother have marketed several successful vibrators and massage oil formulas. Great job. I suppose I should wink."

"Don't bother," replied Ruth with a smile.

"You two get a nice little royalty check, while someone else produces, packages and distributes your idea. My company is that 'someone else'. How many massage oil formulas did you try, before we bought one?"

"Several."

"The reason I want to hire you, is that I want a team of experts to try all of your formulas and to market all of the good ones, and not just the one you think is best."

"I'd figured I was an expert on massage oil," quipped Ruth with a wink.

"Food allergies, skin allergies, fragrance allergies, promotions, product tie-ins, celebrity endorsements: which of those have you considered?"

"None," admitted Ruth. "Wait a minute; 'celebrity endorsements'? You?"

"No. Celebrity depends on the medium and fashion. Remember that couple with the exploding costumes from your 'Come as a Pokémon Contest'?"

"You mean Nor…? Yes I know who you're talking about."

"They have celebrity status because they are so funny. We used their mishaps to market more durable costumes and accessories."

"If you wanted my inventions, why buy everything else?"

"Leverage: If I own the resort, you can't use it as a backup source of funds to resist my offer. Plus it would make a nice present for Yuki, since she keeps asking for a pool."

"You are buying your girlfriend an island? The best Jen bought me is the desk."

"So Dr. Joy bought you the 2000 ml syringe and the straightjacket? Is everything on this list some sex toy?"

"Did I list the rice cooker?" asked Ruth.

"Page six."

"Oh wait, no, we did spend an afternoon pounding mochi for New Year's."

"Would you like a movie contract too?"

"Real movies or porn?"

"If anyone puts you in front of a camera, it will be porn within minutes. I suspect that you will make some joke about high school class photos."

"More of a statement of fact…" teased Ruth.

I noticed that Ruth was rubbing her feet together. "Sorry about that, I must be broadcasting again," I claimed.

"Then I better get out of here."

"If you see Mr. Looker, please ask him to visit tomorrow after breakfast. I'd like to see him sober, but with a bit of a hangover."

"You are evil," grinned Ruth before she left.

I mentally composed an email message to the acquisitions department, "Can we buy Reef Island Resort, the island and research facility?"

[Vibrate: incoming message] "Reef Island Resort is owned by Maroon Destinations Inc. Ninety-three year lease and won't sell. The research facility has several outstanding loans."

I sent another message to acquisitions department, "How much to buy out Maroon?"

[Vibrate: incoming message] "We don't have the cash. Should we look for loans, sale or trade?"

"Wait," I replied. Some thought was trying to work its way out: logistics. "How is this island supplied with food, fuel, and tourists? How can we do it better than Maroon? Maybe the Research Laboratory isn't the only money pit. Investigate finances of tenant and fully examine the lease. I need options and details. Can we use a warptile to connect this island to Saffron City?"

[Vibrate: incoming message] "Understood."

For the rest of the afternoon, I read various reports, napped and noticed a lack of communication from Professor Oak. I made a call to father, "How's your headache?"

"I'm over it, thank you. How are you feeling?" he replied.

"I'm really sensitive so everything feels worse than it is: scratchy towels feel like sandpaper, a cool breeze feels like an arctic blast."

"Doesn't sound like nerve damage," he commented.

"Nerve damage? You never mentioned that," commented my mother.

"I'm probably fine mom. I think my body was healing so fast that my nervous system got boosted to compensate for the poison."

"Poisoned? You said she had a bee sting."

"I compared it to a bee sting. See, this little stinger was in her foot and she destroys someone's lab because of the pain."

"Just like Dr. Molar's office," recalled my mother. "I'm surprised that you haven't toughed up over the years."

"I had other things on my mind," I replied. "Such as the guest that father met."

"He did seem 'out of his element'," commented my father.

"He asked my help in finding any lost relatives. Have you made any progress?"

"No, there's still a road block in Pallet Town."

"What are you two talking about?" demanded my mother. "Is my daughter in trouble again?"

"I've got to go. Take care." With that my father hung up.

So I have to ask Professor Oak directly for access to his Pokédex network.

[Vibrate: incoming message] "A warptile is limited to line of sight. Earth's curvature limits range."

"How limited?" I replied.

[Vibrate: incoming message] "Using the top of Saffron Tower as a transmitter, range would be forty miles. Using Mt. Moon Lodge as the transmitter, range would be ninety miles."

"How does my Pokétch signal get relayed?"

[Vibrate: incoming message] "Satellite. But if the signal is lost there's no loss. If you lose the signal when warping people…"

"Very bad."

[Vibrate: incoming message] "If we had a space station with a warptile we could transport around the world. Same for the moon."

"Cost?"

[Vibrate: incoming message] "One million Pokedollar per pound. We could start with just a warptile and then send the rest into space via warptile."

"A million a pound? What would it cost us to warp into space? Could we make money?"

[Vibrate: incoming message] "Maybe, but we need to check for hidden costs."

[Vibrate: incoming message] "A high altitude blimp would cost less than a space station and gives a teleport range of 600 miles. Not far enough for Reef Island, but close. Several islands within reach are available for purchase and development. We would need a new tower for transmission."

The afternoon melted away into evening. The three of us ate supper while watching the stars come out.

"How was your research?" asked Mewtwo.

"I haven't found any evidence of any Mewtwo activity, either direct observations or observations of Team Rocket's movement."

"That doesn't seem conclusive."

"That's because the most likely recorded means of observation, the Pokédex, does not grant me access. We have to take a trip and get access from its creator."

"Are you ready to travel?"

"I can be transported, but I need to close my affairs with Agent Looker. I decided to do that after breakfast tomorrow."

"Have you regained your abilities?"

"It doesn't look like it," commented Yuki.

"You can understand us?" I asked her.

"Since I'm getting pretty confident with mental pictures, Mewtwo has been simulcasting."

"The plan for tomorrow is breakfast then deal with Looker."

"Then swimming?" insisted Yuki.

"Or call my lawyers and battle for custody of Mewtwo."

"Shouldn't we be in Saffron for that?" asked Yuki.

"Let me worry about round one."

"Then…" prompted Mewtwo.

"Then we look for your Mewtwo."

We spent the evening listening to the waves and watching the stars.

"This is like when I was little," recalled Yuki. "We'd watch the stars and sleep on the beach."

"I grew up in Saffron City. Stars were some theoretical thing mentioned in astronomy books," I joked.

"I don't understand," mentioned Mewtwo.

"I thought you had a sense of humor," I replied.

"I do. I've learned that Magnet Rise is used at least three different ways as a punch line for jokes amongst Steel type Pokémon."

"I'll be thinking of that for the rest of the night," grumbled Yuki.

"Saffron City nights are dominated by cloud cover and artificial lights. Starlight is a rarity."

"That is a mixed blessing. Artificial light in my world is rare, so starlight and moonlight are usually the only lights available."

"Not that you'd notice if you live in a cave," I quipped.

"My home isn't in a cave system. I had a small office in the guild hall, but my home was in the clouds."

"Mountain top?" I asked.

"Some of our clouds are solid enough to support small communities of Pokémon. The view is like that from your garden."

"Solid clouds?" pondered Yuki.

"Who else lived there?" I asked.

"Mostly ghost types, levitating Pokémon and electric types," he listed.

"How is it possible for clouds to be solid?" I wondered out loud.

"It's probably Rayquaza's doing. But if I pressed him on the matter, he may realize that it shouldn't work, so it won't."

"Rayquaza, the sky dragon?" asked Yuki.

"You could say that Sky Stairway is his tower and I'm just a tenant."

"It makes your place seem shabby," joked Yuki.

"If you want to move out," I offered Yuki.

"You just want me out of the way so Dawn can move in," replied Yuki.

"You think I'd want someone who was more messed up in the head than I am?" I asked.

"Afraid of the competition?" asked Mewtwo.

"Yes."

"But no need to worry," laughed Yuki.


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Lemon Warning: If you don't know what a lemon is or you know you're not supposed to read it, then don't.

Possession is Nine Tenths of the Law

Part 1

The Law

Sleeping under the stars is great, until you get the chills. So I went to a real bed about midnight. Reef Island was wonderful, with the sun, surf and isolation, but still I appreciate a good bed. I slept till sunrise and then checked emails. Things were going well businesswise and my abilities were slowly returning. After their early morning swim, Yuki and Mewtwo came in for breakfast. Afterwards we waited for Agent Looker.

Agent Looker was washed and shaved; yet insisted on wearing his trench coat in the tropics. Mewtwo and I received him in the living room of the cabin. He seated himself and placed a note pad before him on the low table.

"Have the nightmares stopped?" I asked.

He gave a little shudder and nodded.

"That's a good sign. If I was at one hundred percent I could go in your head and seal that memory, but your superiors wouldn't allow that. Just remind yourself that the pain isn't real and it's being felt by someone else."

"I'd rather not think of it at all."

"Good, ignoring the suffering of others is the best way to go through life."

"I want to be sympathetic to your situation…"

He was trying to reach out to me, but Mewtwo stopped him psychically. Mewtwo then said, and I translated, "'Sabrina is in my protective custody as a person of interest in a missing Pokémon case. I will only consider releasing Sabrina after my investigation is complete.'"

"He's a cop?" asked Looker.

"Agent Looker of the International Police, may I present Chief Mewtwo of Headquarters."

"You made that up."

Mewtwo flashed a golden, egg-shaped badge and a glare that he meant business.

Looker smirked, nodded in recognition and withdrew his hand to his notepad.

"I have the police reports from Sinnoh, but there a few details that are missing. First: what destroyed Hunter J's carrier?"

"Me."

"You?" asked Looker.

"My primary responsibility was to prevent Mewtwo from being captured. I suspected that Hunter J and Team Rocket were prepared to deal with his abilities, so I acted in the primary role and Mewtwo acted in a support fashion. This destabilized their teamwork and allowed us to prevail. Also I was poisoned, which may have affected my judgment, and Hunter J took hostages that I knew."

"I still find it hard to believe that if they had prepared for a psychic of Mewtwo's level, that you could defeat them."

"This is because you think in terms of level and not skills. I could read and understand human thoughts. This gave me a tactical advantage. Team Rocket believed that they knew all of Mewtwo's skills and limitations and they were prepared for them. Hunter J believed that she knew my limitations and thus she took hostages. Yet she didn't anticipate my physical abilities, thus she lost."

"Would you care to elaborate?"

"Heat of the moment, things happened quickly, I acted on instinct… If you act as my sparring partner, I could probably demonstrate my abilities."

"I think I've had enough abuse already."

"Is that in regard to this interview, or the earlier episode that you'd rather not remember?"

"Both."

"Have you heard of the saying that doctors make the worst patients?"

"Yes."

"Make up a phrase about cops being accused of crimes."

"You're a gym leader," he reminded me. "Yes you have a certain level of authority with regard to Pokémon matters, but you can't be above the law."

"I am Princess Sabrina of the Saffron Throne. My duties include the protection of the people and Pokémon of Saffron City, and its dominion, from both known and hidden crimes. How do you investigate a crime with no witnesses? How can you prove mental abuse, emotional abuse and neglect? In my world of the mind, I am the law. The International Police was formed to pursue criminals whose activities cross borders. Yet your authority cannot trump the sovereignty of a nation that you operate in."

I nailed him to his chair with a gaze. When I relented, I said, "I guess now you know what it's like to walk a mile in my shoes."

"I wouldn't want to wish that on anyone," he replied with a forced smile.

"Any questions that you have about Team Rocket's intentions can only be answered by speculation."

"Equipment?"

"I had hostages to rescue and Mewtwo to protect, so I destroyed or removed anything that may have been a threat. This proved to be inconvenient with regard to freeing the hostages from Hunter J's capture system."

"Yet you managed…"

"I use technology; I don't create it. If you examine her devices you'll know more than me."

"Some of her devices are missing," he pointed out.

"Really?" I replied with mocked surprise. "If I find them, I'll let you know."

"It is considered as 'evidence' and thus you should surrender it."

"It may also be, 'patented', and contain 'trade secrets'. If this evidence existed, then shouldn't it be examined by 'experts'?"

"What is he really after?" asked Mewtwo.

"Hmm?" wondered Looker.

"Mewtwo wonders what you really want to know. He may not understand our language, but he does know that you've been avoiding the direct questions."

"Will you surrender Mewtwo to me?"

I started to laugh. Looker frantically scratched his feet. After a minute I regained my mental composure and quipped, "As you found out it hurts when I laugh. As for your question: no. This Mewtwo has committed no crimes in our world and is a sentient being with rights. This isn't even the right Mewtwo."

"What?"

"The Mewtwo that was created in Team Rocket's laboratory is not this Mewtwo. His lack of understanding of our language is one sign of that."

"Mewtwo is unique, how can there be more of him?"

"Mewtwo is unique on this world. But there are other dimensions. The legendary Pokémon of Sinnoh are said to each have their own dimension. Who's to say that those other dimensions don't have their own Mewtwos?"

"How can I believe you?"

"One cop to another?"

"Please…"

"Lie detector?"

"You could probably cheat that."

"It would still be admissible as evidence. You've witnessed the legendary Pokémon of Sinnoh and you view them as gods. Your superiors know that a Pokémon of similar power was created by men in a lab. You don't view Mewtwo as a god; you view him as a weapon. I view both Mewtwos as sentient beings, with rights. You should think about that before we talk again."

Looker got the tone of my statement, collected his things, stood up and gave me a short bow. When he reached the door, he turned and gave Mewtwo a light salute. Mewtwo returned it. Looker chuckled to himself as he left.

Yuki peeked out of the closet.

I said, "He's gone."

"Do you think he wants to arrest me?"

"On what charge?"

"Hitting a police officer," she replied.

"He was in a state of shock and you were trying to revive him."

"That's a lie."

"That's politics," I corrected. "He doesn't charge you with hitting him and he gets the benefit of being the selfless hero."

"I don't know if you wanted your abilities back, or your personality, so you could confront Looker."

"One and the same. I'm going to get some 'work' done and maybe have a nap before lunch. Are you going diving again?"

I was answered with, "Bye," and the slamming of the front door. Mewtwo was dragged along by Yuki towards the surf.

I composed an email message, "Request preliminary analysis of samples: What percent of technology is ours or of our corporate partners?"

I spent the rest of the morning reading reports of new product ideas, hotel occupancy and the business structure of island resorts until I dozed off.

I woke when Yuki and Mewtwo returned for lunch, which we ate outside. There was a waiting email from Looker asking for a second interview after lunch.

"Trouble?" asked Yuki as we ate.

"Hard to say until he gets here," I replied.

"Do you think that the International Police will just come and take him?"

Mewtwo bristled at that idea.

"I think that I demonstrated that I can cause more than itchy feet in my current state," I replied. "But I think that Looker is an honest person. Hopefully he isn't too honest to the point of being naïve."

I stayed outside in the shade while the other two went inside.

"Agent Looker, I'm glad that you were able to have a second meeting. Have you thought about what I said last time?"

"Yes. But I doubt my superiors will accept your argument about Pokémon sentience."

"That comment wasn't for them; that comment was for you. Your superiors are going to get any lie or excuse that you feel is appropriate."

"I wasn't going to give either."

"Hear me out first. You said that no one is above the law. You honestly believe that. So I want you to open your eyes and look for signs that others don't believe that. I've had samples of Hunter J's carrier analyzed; specifically a teleport diverter. That was invented by my father and isn't used commercially. Then only one sold was to the government. Did someone in the government pass that technology on to Hunter J, or did she steal it? If it was passed on to Hunter J, was it from a low-level operative or a high-level person who used it as payment for her services?

"The International Police have helped local law enforcement break up two types of criminal organizations. But why is it that you're more successful with the cultish groups, such as Team Galactic and Team Plasma, and less successful with true criminal organizations such as Team Rocket?"

"The cult groups fall apart because their ideology can't be sustained by reality," replied Looker.

"Consider also that the cults involve a Pokémon that has its own mind and goals."

"Granted."

"Now think about Team Rocket and Cipher. Both are criminal organizations and both use Pokémon to commit crimes. They bounce back where the cults fail. Why? Because with Team Rocket an outsider can gain power and wealth by selling a few secrets, passing on some technology or poaching some Pokémon.

"They also have bio-engineered or re-engineered advanced Pokémon weapons. Team Rocket's Mewtwo is too powerful to be controlled, but he is valuable as a blueprint for future designs. If a criminal organization has a weapon, then doesn't law enforcement want a similar weapon? 'Dangerous' is a convenient lie to tell people like you, who are honest."

"Are you saying the International Police is compromised?"

I took a deep breath and thought about my answer. "Yes. Most likely you have a member who is compromised by their ambition and is willing to 'bend' the rules. There is a slight chance that you have someone higher up who truly wants political power and would use this crisis to seize Mewtwo or gain the authority to seize any Pokémon that they declare as dangerous."

"I think that you are trying to trick me."

"Well I am a psychic, so you can't trust me. Let me make then a prediction: Hunter J's transfer from Sinnoh Police custody to International Police will be delayed because of paperwork. While she is still in Sinnoh Police custody, she will escape. If she escapes while in International Police custody, the very loyal officer will feel duty bound to resign lest they bring shame on the organization. Perhaps I'm paranoid, I've been told so many times. If nothing happens and Hunter J is in a secure facility, I may even help you in finding her customers."

"Help us? I thought you were against us."

"C.Y.A.: Cover your ass. I watch out for me and my own first. Mewtwo isn't the only living weapon; so am I. I can go through your mind and know if I can trust you, but I can't know if I can trust your organization. If Mewtwo can be seized on the basis of being dangerous, then what's to stop your organization from seizing me? Oh that's right; you have a warrant for my arrest. So the takeover begins."

"The warrant was for questioning and return of the evidence from the Hunter J case," argued Looker.

"Tauros Shit," I replied dismissively. "I went to Sinnoh on my own to save Mewtwo. I protected hostages. I destroyed a dangerous criminal weapon. I captured Hunter J. My Pokémon and I did more in one day than the Sinnoh Police could do in a year. If that doesn't earn the trust of a law enforcement officer, then maybe someone doesn't want to enforce the same laws that I do."

Looker meekly replied, "The law is the law."

"Laws change, so which law is 'the' law? Should I invoke laws from three hundred years ago, and order your arrest and mind wiping? Or should we honor a law made your superior that roughly states, 'The International Police must be the ultimate authority'?"

"You are paranoid."

"If you want to trade insults then you're naïve."

"You're asking a lot of me."

"Am I? You brought your note pad and wrote down the answers to your questions. Base your report on that. If I'm paranoid, and Hunter J is safely in your custody, I'm willing to interrogate her so we can track down her clients, all of them. You can make that offer up front to your superiors, or you can recuperate here and tell them later. You could file a preliminary report based upon our first interview, then file my offer later and see their reactions. Hunter J is valuable for two reasons: results and discretion. If something is amiss, who are you going to turn to; Internal Affairs? Things happen, and don't happen, for a reason. If you need help finding that reason, I'm here to help.

"But keep this in mind: you will not take Mewtwo because he's 'dangerous'. That argument won't hold for a human so don't you dare make exceptions for psychics or Pokémon. Think about it: if I lose my rights as a human being, because I'm a psychic then why should I show any human restraint?

"I know I am not above the law. There is a constitution that spells out what my rights and responsibilities will be when I become Daimyo. If my Mewtwo commits a crime, then I will personally bring him in for justice. If I commit a crime, then my own Grandmother would bring me in."

Looker left, but he lacked the certitude of step as he had when I first met him.

I entered a calming trace to push aside all the emotions that Looker brought up.

"Hello?" called out Prof. Orchid as she carried a large box.

"You seem cheery," I observed. "Did you talk to Granny Orchid?"

"Yes, and she said to bring you these," Ruth set the box down on the patio table. Inside the box were various tubes of liquid each marked with a code, "the formulas that we didn't market."

"So she's all for the idea of signing you up?"

"She kind of mentioned that she can't retire if she has to support me with her store," replied Ruth sheepishly.

"Does she want to give up the store?" I asked.

"She enjoys that. But she'd like to work less on marketing, shipping and manufacturing."

"That should be easy to arrange," I conceded.

"So… where do I sign?"

"We're finishing the contracts and I'll have the lawyer bring them to Tropical Passions tomorrow. You can go over the contracts with your grandmother. I'll have a second set drawn up for her to franchise the business to us."

"?"

"She owns her business and its name, but gets a royalty on all products sold through her store and website."

"That's good, right?"

"Very good," I replied. "I have a certain respect for grandmothers."

"Did you buy the island yet?"

"I think I'm in the market for something closer to town."

"How much closer?"

"Somewhere I can put in a warptile. My people are working on ideas to boost range or set up a relay. The island should also be suitable for your new lab and warm enough that you can run around without your clothes on. You three seem to do your best work that way."

"New lab?"

"If I'm going to get any work out of you three, I'll need you a little closer to town."

"Yes ma'am," replied Ruth mockingly.

"Careful or I'll insist that you call me 'Milady'. Don't worry; there'll be plenty of time for 'play' later. I have several product ideas that should be 'right up your alley."

"Oh?"

"Later."

After Ruth left, I reviewed the contracts until Yuki came outside. She sported her all over tan like she was born with it. "Did you put on any sunscreen?" she asked.

"I'm in the shade."

"Reflected sunlight can burn just as well as direct."

"There's probably something in the box."

Yuki looked through the box.

"Didn't you go in for a nap?" I asked.

"Mewtwo is snoring up a storm," replied Yuki. "He didn't want to let on, but keeping watch over you really left him exhausted."

"He said that when I lost control, everyone had to be evacuated from Ruth's island. I was afraid to ask if he was affected too."

Yuki found a bottle of sunscreen and coated herself. "He's got strong mental shields, but he had to stay awake the whole time to keep them up."

Yuki had her front coated, so she sat on my lap so I could cover her back.

"That's not your typical sunscreen smell."

"The bottle says, 'Strawberry Daiquiri'," I replied. "It smells like there is enough rum in this to make a regular daiquiri."

I finished Yuki's back, so she took the bottle and asked, "Why make food scented sunscreen?"

After I took off my yukata, I lowered the lounge to a reclined position. Yuki worked the fruit scented mixture on my bare front. I shivered at her cool, oily touch.

"Still sensitive," she observed.

"And ticklish," I added.

"It's so hard to choose," purred Yuki. She worked the sunscreen on my stomach and I squirmed.

"I…I better do that area," I insisted.

"Too late," replied Yuki. "I'm going here next." She quickly sat on my thighs and grabbed both breasts. "Oh, they just perked right up."

"Yuki?"

"You've never been dominated before, have you?" My hypersensitivity made every action on my nipples feel a hundred times worse: she tugged a little yet my nipples felt they stretched out like vine whips. A little twist felt like she was unscrewing them from my body. A little nibble was like a steel trap.

"I almost forgot to cover this," purred Yuki as she coated my crotch. Her short fingernails working the sunscreen through my pubic hair felt like every bikini wax happening at once. The cold sunscreen on my lips burned.

"Wet already? It's a shame to let that go to waste," she pouted. "Oh look at the label. It says that it's 'lickable'."

"Please no."

"It pleases you, no?" she replied with a bad accent. She slid down my legs, spread them apart and licked.

One lick and it felt like the first time. Fear, loathing, joy and lust; I felt it all with that little taste.

"That was just a tease," purred Yuki. "Whatever will you do if I do this?" She thrust her tongue deep into my pussy and flailed at my insides while she pinched my clit with her fingers.

I wanted to explode yet suck her bodily into me.

I settled for exploding.

[Recording error no. 5248: energy overload. Resetting…]

"Whoa," puffed Yuki. "That was so much better than stingers in your feet."

My head was spinning. I was breathing hard and my ears were ringing.

"You came so hard, the feedback made me cum too," purred Yuki as she slithered her way up my body. "You are such the screamer," growled Yuki before she started to kiss me. My mind was swimming as she fondled me in two places and explored my mouth with her tongue.

"Ahem."

"AHEM!"

I opened an eye in the direction of… Agent Looker and three guests. Yuki followed my gaze and then raced into the cabin. The three guests were Pikachu, Ash and Misty Ketchum. All four of them had sand on their clothes and a wet crotch. "What were you four doing together?" I asked.

Misty was the first to realize what I saw, so she hid behind Ash.

Agent Looker blushed as he closed his trench coat.

Ash just complained, "My best pair of jeans."

"Sorry," whined Pikachu. He was sitting on Ash's left shoulder. The right side of Ash's head was wet and sticky.

"What's that Pikachu?" Ash soon discovered. "What is going on?"

Mewtwo jogged out of the cabin and asked, "Are you okay? Who are they?"

"Mewtwo!" gasped Misty.

"Hello!" greeted Pikachu.

"Hello," replied Mewtwo to the yellow Pokémon. "I don't believe that we've met. I'm Mewtwo."

Pikachu scampered across the sand to get closer. "We met at the wedding," prompted Pikachu.

"What's a wedding?"

"For those two. Don't you remember? There was a ceremony and everyone gathered at Misty's gym because Ash invited every friend that he ever met."

"I was there," I replied.

"I know that. I spent the whole time waiting for you to make Ash's pants fall down, or turn Ash and Misty into cake decorations."

"What an evil little Pokémon you are," I teased.

"I didn't want you to do. I just expected you to."

"What an evil little Pokémon you are," I scolded. "I'm a reformed psychic."

"Well Pikachu, is this the same Mewtwo?" asked Ash.

Pikachu shook his head.

Ash got a closer look. Mewtwo and I both flinched from Ash's smell of semen.

"I agree buddy. He just doesn't feel like the other Mewtwo."

"Is the word of the Kanto Champion good enough for you Looker?" I asked.

"Yes it is. Next order of business: Hunter J escaped."

"But she fell into another dimension. I was there," explained Ash.

Mewtwo sat down beside me.

"She somehow returned to this dimension," explained Looker. "She was hired by Team Rocket to go after Mewtwo."

"Shame on you," I teased as I scratched the back of Mewtwo's head. "A gentleman lets the lady come first."

"Pardon?"

"How and where did Hunter J escape?" I asked.

"She escaped from the Hearthome City Jail. Her extradition to International Police custody was expedited. The night before her transfer, she walked out of her cell through a strange portal."

"What do you mean by a portal?" asked Misty, who still kept Ash between her and the others.

Agent Looker read from his note pad, "The cells had video cameras so J was recorded walking towards a wall and then was no longer in the cell. The camera couldn't view what the portal was. Other prisoners were questioned; they claimed that it was a glowing black door. Those prisoners were arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct and may not be the most credible witnesses."

"He uses a notepad as well," commented Mewtwo.

"Where's yours?" I asked in a quiet voice.

"It didn't survive the transit."

"Comments?" asked Looker.

"You should have knocked first," I grumped.

"I meant about this case."

"Told you so, and you should have knocked. Now that Ash has confirmed that this is a different Mewtwo, will you leave us alone?"

"We have to go after Hunter J," insisted Ash.

"Then go," I purred as I stroked Mewtwo's horns.

Misty pushed Ash out of the way and stomped over to me. (A good trick considering she was stomping sand.) "You are no better than Prof. Orchid. Stop being a spoiled princess and do something!" Misty demanded.

"Misty Ketchum, I may be a skilled teleporter, but I do not monitor teleport activity. My father does that. If Agent Looker wants my help then I would like to be assured that as soon as I go back home to Saffron City I won't be arrested and Mewtwo incarcerated like a rabid pet."

"What?" asked Ash.

"I'm not here on this island for a holiday," I replied. "I went to Sinnoh to prevent Team Rocket and Hunter J from capturing Mewtwo. When I returned home to Saffron City, I find that Agent Looker was making demands and getting warrants. Therefore we came to this island as political refugees seeking asylum."

"Incarcerate Mewtwo?" asked Ash is disbelief.

"They believe that he's too dangerous to remain free," I stated. "I've been reading my emails while relaxing on the beach and I've yet to read one email from my lawyer stating that it was safe to come home. So until that is settled, you three can run along, change your clothes and play cops and robbers."

"Did you do something bad?" asked Pikachu.

"I've committed no crime," replied Mewtwo, "unless it is illegal to be a Pokémon in your world."

Pikachu stood his ground between Mewtwo and Agent Looker and declared, "I won't let you arrest him."

Ash looked at his partner and asked, "You believe Mewtwo don't you Pikachu?"

Pikachu nodded.

Ash stood alongside his Pokémon and declared, "Call off your warrant on Mewtwo."

"What about me?" I protested.

"Sabrina too," added Ash.

I caught Misty's eye and mouthed, "He is thick."

She winked.

"Goodbye Looker. I hope that the trail doesn't get too cold up in Sinnoh. So Misty, Ash and Pikachu, will you stay for dinner?"

"Thank you," replied Ash.

"Isn't this the cabin we stayed in last time?" asked Misty.

"I think so."

"The reefs were so beautiful," reminisced Misty.

"Yuki keeps insisting that I go diving with her, you could join us," I offered.

Agent Looker was still standing there, dumbfounded.

I concentrated on every wound in my feet and focused that pain and frustration at Looker. "Go away," I demanded.

Agent Looker turned and left, defiantly refusing to squirm or scratch until he was out of sight.

"Whew. So let me introduce you to Yuki." I got up and stumbled, so Mewtwo carried me to the cabin.

"What happened to you," asked Misty.

"Hunter J has a Drapion with some really nasty Toxic Spikes," I replied. "Hey Yuki, I've got some dive partners for you."

Yuki was dressed and frantically packing her things. "Where's Looker?"

"I sent him on his way. This is Ash and Misty."

"We met at the gym when you looked at the elevating water tank," recalled Misty as she extended a hand.

"Uh…ew," commented Yuki.

Misty's hand was sticky and full of sand.

"Why don't you three just go out and swim in the reefs," I suggested.

Ash tried to protest, "But…"

"Ash Ketchum, you and your wife have been viewed having sex over a million times. So just drop your clothes, grab some dive equipment and go have some fun."

"A million times?" asked Misty as she grew pale.

"Don't worry, only Ruth, Todd and I know that it's you."

"How do you know?" demanded Misty.

"Because I'm psychic. Now go have fun before Agent Looker puts us to work in that frozen wasteland."

Ash nonchalantly threw off his clothes and headed for the water. Misty and Yuki reluctantly did the same. Mewtwo went back to bed.

I emailed father, "Hunter J left the Hearthome Jail last night. Did it register on your systems?"

Twenty minutes later he called, "I got your message. It looks like a teleport."

"But it isn't?"

"I can't find the exit."

"Hunter J was trapped in another dimension. If she learned how to get out, she could have learned how to go back," I speculated.

"Her event's energy signature looks more like a dimension breach than a teleport."

"Signature? You can tell which Pokémon comes through dimensions?"

"At this distance from Sinnoh, I can't be absolutely certain. Her event shares some characteristics as the legendary Pokémon, but is different in other ways. Are you coming home soon so your mother can fret over you and stop pestering me?"

"I think that there is still a warrant outstanding for me and Mewtwo."

"My daughter the delinquent," moaned my father.

"I'm trying to protect Mewtwo."

"I know that. But your mother will be furious."

"So is your mother," I added.

"I'm going to hide in the office until things quiet down. Have fun."

Mewtwo's snoring grew louder, so I moved outside. Pikachu was stretched out in the sand and enjoying the sun. "I don't have to use psychic power to make Ash drop his pants," I observed.

"That doesn't count; he's always getting naked these days."

"Are you feeling left out?" I retrieved the bottle of sunscreen and finished coating myself.

"I'm always naked," observed the Pokémon.

"I mean do you feel left out of Ash's life now that he's married?"

"I'm busier than ever: I help train Ash's Pokémon, help Misty when were at the gym plus have my son to train. If Ash and I do go on the road, he doesn't relax because he wants to get back to Misty."

"So that's why you're here sunning yourself and not diving."

"I'm protecting Mewtwo," claimed the yellow mouse.

"Liar."

Pikachu flinched.

I made myself comfortable on the lounge chair. "You're still here for the same reason that I am."

Pikachu turned his head my way.

I patted my lap and said, "Come here."

"Uh, what do you want?" asked Pikachu as he looked between my bare legs.

"It's not sex with you, silly. Now come on."

Reluctantly Pikachu walked over and climbed onto my lap. I started by giving him a scalp massage.

"Mmmm," cooed Pikachu. The muscles under his scalp relaxed quickly, as did his jaw and cheeks. The first sign of tension was at the back of his head and neck. I slowly explored each joint of his neck until I found a spot of arthritis.

"You've been through a lot, old man."

"You're older than me," replied Pikachu as he squirmed.

"Don't move around."

"But my feet itch."

"No they don't. My feet itch; you're just feeling my problems, while I'm working on yours."

"What problem?"

"Hush and relax."

Two joints in his neck had early signs of arthritis as did his left elbow. I tried to induce Recover to heal the damage.

After I massaged and checked his other arm and legs I checked his tail. His tail proper was in good health, but I couldn't reach the base of his tail. "I need you to turn around and lie down."

Pikachu was so relaxed, that he happily flopped down and planted his face between my breasts. I was too busy fixing the second joint of his tail to mind that Pikachu was rubbing his sandy cheeks on my oiled breasts.

The sound of the surf, the breeze and little Pikachu breathing were so relaxing, that I dosed off. My Pokétch buzzed with an incoming call. "Sabrina, this is dad, I've just detected a breach."

I was being breached as well by Pikachu. "Chu," he sighed.

I grabbed his head with both hands and shoved him off of me.

"Is it Hunter J?" I asked.

"It could be. I still don't recognize the energy signature, so I don't think it's one of the usual teleporters. I can't tell if this was an exit or entrance to our dimension, but the location was outside Viridian City."

"That's bad."

"The location doesn't match one of Team Rocket's known locations, but there could be more out there."

"This is really bad."

"Chu," cooed the Pokémon as he licked his way up my legs.

"That's bad too. Wake up!" I stopped Pikachu with the bottom of my foot and kicked him off the lounge.

"What's happening?" asked my father.

"A crazy Pikachu is sleep…walking. Call me if there is any change."

There was a muffled, "Chu?" uttered by the Pokémon with his head planted in the sand. I scrambled off the lounge, grabbed Pikachu by the leg and staggered to the cabin. Once inside I shouted, "Wake Up!"

Pikachu, despite the rough treatment, was still stuck in his wet dream.

"What's happening?" asked Mewtwo.

"Vacation is over," I declared as I stumbled into the bath. I hosed down Pikachu with cold water.

"Cold!" he screamed.

"Good, you're awake."

"I had the most amazing dream," he muttered. I was desperately washing myself. Pikachu looked at me and blushed.

"Go and look for Ash and the others," I ordered. "We've got big problems with Hunter J."

"She's back?" asked Mewtwo.

"She can teleport," I remarked. "She's probably visiting her client Giovanni, and getting restocked for another attempt on abducting you."

"Giovanni?" asked Pikachu.

"The head of Team Rocket. Now get Ash and the others back here. We'll need to be ready to fight or run as soon as possible."

Pikachu scampered out and shot Thunderbolts for attention.

I was dry and looking for clothes when the others came back.

"Is something wrong?" asked Yuki.

"Probably very wrong, now get cleaned up, dressed and ready to move."

"But…" protested Ash.

"Yes you've got a nice ass Ketchum; now go wash it. All of you."

I called Grandma Lilith while the others were washing. "Hunter J can teleport. She may come after the gym students as hostages."

"Today is Sunday, so the gym is closed," she replied.

I checked my watch calendar in disbelief and shrugged. "Good, contact Jean and Zoey to keep the gym closed and the kids at home."

"Shouldn't we rally our forces?"

"I'd like to but I can't get the children caught in the middle. I don't know where she'll strike, but I guess it will be the gym."

"Should I send the jet to pick you up?"

"No, but send my Alakazam and Natu and I'll teleport home. I'll call when I'm ready. Yuki can I borrow some of your clothes?"

"I don't think that they'll fit," she replied from the bath.

I forced my way into a pair of Yuki's pants and camisole; both were too short and exposed a lot of midriff.

"Nice look," remarked Yuki as she was toweling off.

"Damn these are tight. I can't bend over to put on shoes," I complained.

"You don't have shoes. You arrived with house slippers," observed Yuki.

"That'll do."

"Do you have anything for us?" asked Ash as he was drying his hair. His thing was limp yet hung almost to his knees.

My mind stopped and restarted, "…No, just wash your clothes. We'll dry them later," I remarked.

"Why do we have to go?" asked Misty.

"You don't Misty. Just stay here, swim and have sex with your husband. I'm going home to fight an international criminal before she takes hostages or wrecks Saffron City. Come on Yuki! Mewtwo!"

I ran out of the cabin and swore, "Damn, I can't run in these things either."

Mewtwo leapt ahead and offered me his back.

"But you look good," remarked Yuki.

I sent a message to the resort and the PA system blared, "Paging Agent Looker. Paging Agent Looker. Please come to the main lobby for an emergency call."

He was there ahead of us and scolded, "You're not supposed to announce that I'm here."

"Please; only flashers and secret agents wear trench coats. Did you rescind the warrants?"

"I've been busy."

"Then you're coming with us."

"He did already," joked Yuki.

"Now grandma."

The Pokéballs materialized in the transfer machine.

[Incoming message:] "Hunter J has teleported again!"

I activated the Tower's warptile beacon program.

"Roar!"

A Charizard was flying straight at the lodge. Ash, Misty and Pikachu were on its back.

"We're going too," declared Ash.

"Then get in here and put that Charizard away!"

Alakazam and Natu spent less than a minute finding the beacon signal, before they teleported us to my apartment.

"Blegh!" Agent Looker got sick on the floor.

"You are cleaning that up," I declared as I entered the apartment.

"Feeling better dear?" asked grandma.

"I'm mad and focused, but my head doesn't feel complete yet."

"What's next?" asked Yuki.

"Mewtwo is still the goal, but what is J's next target?" I asked.

"There isn't a gym and everyone should be home on a Sunday."

"Where does Kiyo live?" I asked.

"At his dojo," recalled my grandmother. "I call him and tell him what's going on."

"What is going on?" asked Looker as he staggered into the living room.

Gardevoir handed him a bucket and mop.

"You're going to clean up your mess," I ordered, "And then we'll prepare for a showdown with Hunter J."

"Right!" declared Ash.

"Do you know where?" asked Misty.

"Probably at the gym," I speculated as I hopped to the bedroom closet. "Damn it!" I crashed to floor as I struggled out of the tight pants.

"I've called Master Kiyo and warned him," announced Lilith. "I also called Jean and Zoey. They're going to call all of the parents and warn them to stay away from the gym."

I quickly put on my archery clothes and breastplate. I returned to the living room with bow and quiver and asked, "Why is Misty dripping water on the carpet, yet Ash is dry and smells of barbeque?"

"He used Charizard to dry himself off," replied Misty.

"I'm used to it."

Looker returned from his cleaning duties and asked, "What are you planning on doing with that?" He was pointing at my bow.

"I thought that Ash was the thick one," I remarked.

"The thickest," teased Misty as she nudged Ash.

"Not in front of the others," rumbled Pikachu.

I called up a city map on the big screen. "Let's assume that Mewtwo is still the goal. Hunter J knows that he was with me and probably assumes that I returned to Saffron City. Hunter J is willing to take hostages. The gym is a likely target. Since she is working for Giovanni, we should assume that she has access to information on us. Thus grandma, mother, father, the students, teachers and all our Pokémon could all be targets."

"How do we protect them all?" asked Ash.

"Protect who?" asked Zoey as she entered the living room.

"Everyone," replied Yuki.

"Espeon, we may need to fight or run at a moment's notice. Round up the little ones into their Pokéballs. Gardevoir, show Agent Looker where he can dump that."

"If Hunter J is after Mewtwo, what's stopping her from coming here directly?" asked Misty.

"Nothing," I replied. "I didn't paint my name on the side of the building, but Team Rocket may know that I'm here."

"Is there some place more secure?" asked Zoey.

"Yes." I called my father, "Dad, can you monitor your sensor net from a secure location?"

"All I need is access to my warptiles."

"Good. Then get mom and warp to my apartment."

"Okay," replied dad in person, "Now what."

"I've cleaned up my mess and washed my hands," announced Agent Looker. "Will someone tell me what's going on?"

"Mom, dad, grandma, this is Agent Looker the International Police agent that placed a warrant for my arrest and wants to confiscate Mewtwo."

With my limited abilities I could still feel the chilling stares upon Looker.

Espeon and Gengar returned with a bag of Pokéballs. Yuki and Misty returned from the bedroom. Misty was in one of my bodysuits.

"Are we ready?" I asked. "To the elevator!"

We all left the apartment and crammed into the service elevator.

"I can't believe that a judge would authorize an arrest warrant for my daughter," fumed my mother as the elevator descended.

The door opened and I led everyone out. "There's a small kitchen here, restrooms are over there and here is the conference room. Dad, I've got a warptile this way for you. Agent Looker, don't leave this room."

I led dad down another hall to a heavy door, which unlocked from my Pokétch.

"Can I help you, sensei?" asked Monty who was standing on the warptile.

"What are doing here?" I asked.

"Helping?"

"Good, then help my father and do what he asks."

"Yes ma'am."

"Is there a way you can monitor that from the conference room?"

"I'm on it," offered Monty.

I returned to the conference room and Agent Looker asked, "Why do I have to stay here?"

"Or else I'll break your legs and destroy every spy device you carry," I replied.

Agent Looker ignored the threat and asked, "What happens when Hunter J realizes this is the wrong Mewtwo?"

We turned and looked at Agent Looker.

"You said this is the wrong one. Was that a lie?"

I looked to Grandma and she had her phone out and said, "I'm calling him right now."

"Ma'am, the Police Commissioner is here," announced the weekend security guard.

"I sent for him," explained grandma.

"Send him in," I replied.

Police Commissioner Tim Hanzo is a big, burly, straight talking policeman that earned the respect of the whole force. He came in the room, looked everyone over and asked my grandmother, "Why is that girl wearing your armor?"

"That girl is my granddaughter Sabrina," scolded Lady Lilith. Grandmother pulled the commissioner aside and whispered to him.

"He did what? I'm settling this right now!" The commissioner was on his own phone and barking orders, "What fool would issue a warrant against Sabrina? Well get that fool on the phone now! I don't care if it's Sunday. If he doesn't answer, send an officer over with a cell phone."

My father walked into the room with his laptop and was followed by Monty who was spooling out wires. He was carrying probably three times the number of wires necessary, but he does over prepare.

"Anything?" I asked.

Father shook his head as he checked his computer.

"She may use operatives to secure hostages before the big strike."

"Will all this be over in time for the Pokémon Contest?" asked Zoey.

Grandmother and I exchanged glances. "I did add the names of the gym and my company to sponsors list," I admitted.

"The stadium is a big place. She wouldn't have to take hostages that you knew, just threaten thousands of people," observed my grandmother.

"I can have that stadium checked from top to bottom and place special duty officers at all the gates," offered the commissioner.

"Special duty?" asked Looker.

"You've done enough Mr. Looker," grumped the commissioner. "We'll let you know if we need you."

Grandmother speculated, "If Hunter J uses the contest as her stage, do we trap her or just repel her? Suggestions?"

"We can't risk innocent lives for the sake of one arrest," declared Commissioner Hanzo.

"Agreed."

I added, "Hunter J is persistent. If she doesn't get her target, she could come back more vicious."

"Um, if Hunter J didn't get what she wanted, she'd just give up," recalled Ash.

"Really?"

"Yeah, I was there a couple of times when she'd just stop, say it wasn't worth it and leave. She even dropped a piece of her carrier with people and Pokémon on it."

"She risked her reputation and her carrier to capture Mewtwo, and lost. What kind of reward could Giovanni have?" I wondered.

We looked at each other. Finally we looked at Looker. "Now you want my help?" he asked indignantly, as he sat on a chair and pouted.

I speculated, "He probably doesn't know anyway. Let's assume that the reward is considerable. But the risk to her reputation is immense, and if Team Rocket controls Mewtwo, then all of Hunter J's other clients would go into hiding. She's putting herself out of work either way."

"Massive teleport event detected!" warned my father. "Location is outside of Viridian City. Looks like Hunter J returned to our world, but she brought something big. Mass is over a hundred tons."

"Ash, when Hunter J was sent to another dimension, did she have her carrier?"

"Yes," replied Ash.

"I was there too," grumbled Looker.

"Hunter J just brought that carrier back," I conjectured.

"What did you rip apart in Sinnoh?" asked Yuki.

"The spare; she probably had a second carrier in storage, or she borrowed one from Team Rocket. Ash, what can that carrier do?"

"It can fly, turn invisible and is full of traps," recalled Ash.

"The new one had a teleport diverter on board. Let's assume that she installs that on this carrier. Dad, can we counter a teleport diverter with warptiles?"

"I've never experimented with that. We'd probably rip the target in half or teleport them to who knows where," he replied.

"Commissioner Hanzo, could you get us information from the Sinnoh police about Hunter J's capabilities?" asked Lady Lilith.

"I'm on it."

"Son, are the warptiles safe from a teleport diverter?"

"The warptiles work on line of sight. If there is a diverter between the two warptiles or near the warptile, the diverter will work. We could program the network to go around the diverter, if we can detect it."

"I detected it by teleporting a volunteer," I recalled. "Afterwards I teleported debris to her carrier until they turned off the diverter."

"So we should assume that the diverter is a wildcard. It can be used against us or against her. We can only detect Hunter J's movements when she teleports, so she'll probably move in with stealth. We'll assume that that she'll make her move on the day of the tournament, but we should be ready to move at a moment's notice. Sabrina will probably let us use this room as a war room unless there is a better location for us to move to."

"I would prefer police headquarters, so we can quickly dispatch emergency personnel," stated the commissioner, "and direct evacuations."

"This building has the highest density of warptiles in the city, can it be used to divert Hunter J's entire carrier?" I asked my father.

"How many warptiles?"

"Forty-three," I replied then corrected, "Forty-four. I had one installed at my front door."

Father checked his laptop and speculated, "It would be like having forty-four cement trucks ram the building. The building would become scrap, maybe topple."

"Actually since the building has active dampers, it would probably stand," offered Stanley, "but all the warptiles would be ripped from their locations."

"Let's consider that a last option."

Stanley disappointingly replied, "Yes sensei."

"What would really help is a person on the inside of Team Rocket, or at least a person in the area who could tell us when Hunter J is on the move," stated Daimyo Lilith. "Agent Looker of the International Police, will you assist the people of Saffron City?"

"Uh... Yes Ma'am," replied the agent with a salute.

"I'm sure that the Commissioner can arrange for you to be transported to the area in the quickest manner you see fit. It would be convenient if Hunter J gave up her target as she has done so before. But we must be ready for the worst by being our best. We have trained and prepared for a long time to be our best and protect the ones that are important to us. No criminal can overcome that. No reward can shake our resolve. When the crisis comes, we shall reconvene at police headquarters. What will you require my son?"

"A working warptile at police headquarters," he replied.

"We have a spare," offered Stanley.

"Then I'll need power and line of sight to one or more other warptiles."

"How do you know where they are?" asked the commissioner.

"Can you see this building?" I asked.

"The tallest building in Saffron City? I can see it from my office."

"What are we supposed to do?" asked Misty.

"Ash is probably our best source of knowledge about Hunter J; would you share that with us?" asked Lady Lilith.

"Sure, what do you want to know?"

My grandmother put her hand on his cheek and said, with a voice that's only heard in your head, "Everything." A moment later she removed her hand and said with a normal voice, "This battle will be unlike any gym battle that any of us have prepared for. The city will be the battlefield, but we must protect the city. Hunter J, will follow no rules and will battle personally, both on the ground and in the air. Her Salamance was not part of the battle in Sinnoh, so she'll probably have it here and we have few Pokémon that can match it in the air."

"I've got Charizard," offered Ash.

"I can't ask you or your Pokémon to fight for us."

"You don't have to, because I'm volunteering."

"Ash!" Misty was not happy with that idea.

"Unless events change, let us expect to meet at police headquarters before the contest. Thank you."

As my grandmother closed the meeting, I went to gather my friends. Yuki was standing close to Mewtwo and acted as an interrupter. Zoey and Ash were discussing Hunter J, while Misty fumed. "Let's go back upstairs," I offered.

When we returned to the apartment the mother Pokémon released their children, but insisted that they stay close and not to go outside. "Can I have a word with you Ash?" I asked and led him outside.

"Are you going to ask me not to fight too?"

"I don't have to; Misty will convince you of that. What do you do when you can't think?"

"Can't or won't?" asked Pikachu.

Ash patted Pikachu's side. "When I can't think, I rely on Pikachu."

"You look to your friends for inspiration and confidence," I concluded.

"No, I use Pikachu's electric attacks to charge my brain."

"Do you like to be abused?" I asked.

"It's not abuse. Electric Pokémon communicate with electricity. Charizard breathing fire on me means that he accepts me as a fire Pokémon."

"It means he's putting you in your place," muttered Pikachu.

I picked Pikachu off of Ash's shoulder and looked deeply into his eyes. "Okay old man, give me a shot."

"Chu," replied the electric mouse with a reduced strength Thunderbolt. My hair was standing on end, my limbs trembled but my mind still felt empty. Not empty but incomplete. Skills, personality, humor: little but important bits of me were lost. No, they weren't lost, they ran away and some of that was right there in my hands. "You're going back to where you belong!" I declared and then French kissed a Pikachu.

…

"Sabrina."

"Sabrina!"

I opened my eyes and realized that I was prone on the ground and Yuki was shaking me. Everyone was talking at once, but I didn't hear them. What I heard was the little voice in the back of Yuki's mind that said, "You enjoyed that."

I grabbed Yuki's head with both hands, kissed her deeply and sucked that little voice back into my mind where it belonged. I probably held the kiss too long because Zoey coughed an awkward, "Ahem."

I released Yuki, who gasped for air, and took stock of my situation. I still had five fingers and toes. My face had a slight burn from the Thunderbolt and my feet still had slight nerve damage from the poison. Pikachu was fantasying about sex with humans, Ash assumed that it was Pikachu's fault, Misty thought I was a bigger pervert than Ruth Orchid, Zoey was getting moody thinking about Dawn, Yuki was embarrassed and Mewtwo thought that humans have very strange customs. Everyone also was comparing my hair to a Tangela.

I gently pushed everyone back with my abilities, levitate to my feet and declared, "I'm back."

"Back from where?" asked Misty.

"Back from Pikachu's head and Yuki's head."

"What were you doing in there?"

"Hiding from the rest of me. It's a rather complicated story of split personality." I put my hands together and formed and absorbed an Aura Sphere. "To sum up, my abilities are back."

"So we can go home," concluded Misty as she tugged on Ash's arm.

"But…"

[Activate beacon signal. Location: Cerulean City Gym.] I picked up the bewildered Pikachu, took Ash's arm and teleported the three of them home. "Thank you for everything. I mean it." I returned to my home warptile and untied the breastplate.

As I climbed the stairs to the living room, Zoey asked, "What happens next?"

"Ppffft," I spat because I had my hair in my mouth. "You should be contacted by a Saffron Police special officer. They'll probably recommend that you continue to prepare your students but at a more secure facility, such as the Pokémon Center."

"What's a 'special officer'?"

"One that was trained at the gym," explained Yuki. "Not all of them are psychic, but they were trained to use psychic Pokémon."

"Will it upset the students to have known police officers around?"

"Underneath they're all Pokémon trainers who have studied together at the gym. I doubt that the officers will upset the children."

"What will you do boss?"

I was looking in the living room mirror. My hair did look like a Tangela. "I've got a Mewtwo to train." I psychically put my hair in place and relaxed. My hair sprang up like a startled flock of Pidgeys.

Mewtwo was playing find the pearl with Spoink and Ralts.

"What can you train him to do?"

"Fly, I hope."

"Aren't we supposed to be protecting him and not sending him into battle?" argued Zoey.

"Yes, but we can't stop him if he chose to battle and if he needs to run, he could get farther by flying than hopping around."

"Are you two going to jump off the building like before?"

"No. I'm thinking that we should go someplace that's warm and has something soft to crash into."

"What should I do?" asked Yuki.

"Someone has to look after the Pokémon and be ready to move them in an emergency."

"And if nothing happens, I can sleep in," added Yuki. "I love it."

"Mewtwo," I took his arm, "would you care for some flying lessons?"


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Lemon Warning: If you don't know what a lemon is or you know you're not supposed to read it, then don't.

Possession is Nine Tenths of the Law

Part 2

Fly Me to the Moon

Reef Island is great place for many romantic activities; but I had serious work to perform. Work that I was seriously out of practice doing: teaching.

"So what is the first lesson, sensei?" asked Mewtwo attentively. He even had a legal pad and a pencil to take notes with!

I felt awkward acting as a teacher for a legendary Pokémon, so I confessed, "I was never taught to fly; it was just a consequence of my other psychic training and skills."

Mewtwo suggested, "So let us examine what are the requirements of flight and then we can explore what psychic skills should be used to achieve that."

"Well there are two important components to flying: propulsion and aerodynamics."

Mewtwo made notes and asked, "What is aerodynamics?"

"The study of how structure and form affects flight."

He wrote that down and then nodded. "Which component did you explore first?"

"Propulsion," I replied. "I mimicked my Alakazam's meditation style." He gestured for me to demonstrate, so I sat cross-legged and pushed away the world with a psychic bubble of calm.

I opened my eyes a moment later and Mewtwo was writing notes as he explored the limits of my bubble.

He caught my eye and asked, "Does this skill serve any other purpose?"

"It's the foundation for psychic defense training. The sphere is a simple shape to form, yet it contains the largest volume for a given surface area. As a result you get maximum protection for a minimum of energy output."

He wrote that down.

"Do you base your defense this way?" I asked.

"No," he replied, "but I am familiar with the technique. We teach shell defense in basic training."

"What do you use?"

"Second skin; the idea is to minimize the energy output needed for defense by minimizing the volume that is defended. To use second skin you make semi spheres of shell defense centered at psychic-nerve clusters. For instance I have shells centered at my head, hands, feet, tail and torso."

"I should be writing things down," I remarked.

"Later." He sat in a similar position as I did and formed his own sphere of energy. "Next?"

"My sphere is bigger than yours," I observed with a grin.

"I noticed that about your Mewtwo as well. How long are your battles typically?"

"Perhaps as long as we've been training," I replied.

He wrote that down. "Our rescue missions can take as long as a day, perhaps two, and so we need to train to conserve energy as much as possible. Even with shell defense, we teach how to minimize exposure and thus minimize the shell size. Your Mewtwo appears to have been trained in the idea of explosive force: expend the maximum amount of energy in the shortest amount of time." He paused and asked, "Am I upsetting you?"

"Not upsetting, but your training methods will make me seriously review my methods."

"Since your methods led to flight, I will not dismiss them," he replied with a little smile. "What was your next step?"

"Funny you should ask. The next step is walking on water," I answered. I floated over to the lagoon, put my feet down and placed a psychic skin on top of the water. "Oop!" I hit the water with a splash. "I think in my case we should start with meditating on water."

Mewtwo joined me in the lagoon and we returned to meditating on our shields. I expanded my shell enough to float on the water. Mewtwo didn't float. "You need to expand your shell enough so you can float." He did expand his shell, but tentatively as he tried to balance floating with energy conservation. "Stop being stingy and just expand your shell. More. There."

Mewtwo still had his notepad. "How do you feel that these skills contribute to flight?"

"Well, the air is like the water in that it moves out of the way when you push on it."

A flash of inspiration light up Mewtwo's face. He expanded his bubble to the size of a house and pushed my bubble out of the lagoon. The sphere was illuminated with bright, yellow Thunderbolts. When my eyes adjusted to the glare, Mewtwo's giant light bulb was floating into the air.

I levitated toward Mewtwo, who was sitting at the bottom of his balloon. "It's not very fast or maneuverable," he observed.

"True."

"But it is efficient." He contracted and expanded the bubble and observed the change in buoyancy. "I just need to maintain a certain amount of force against the sphere and it floats."

"What happens when you run out of breathable air?"

He laid down on the bottom of his balloon and stuck his head out. "This is where second skin training becomes useful. I can maintain the balloon separately from this fresh air pocket." He offered me a hand, so I took it and climbed into his balloon. Once aboard, he increased the lift and the balloon rose. "This is similar to my home."

"You understand floating. Next you need to work on propulsion. Otherwise we'll drift out to sea."

Mewtwo concentrated. Prof. Orchid's ruined laboratory was getting closer. We stopped.

"I think I have propulsion now," commented Mewtwo.

I looked about with all my senses and saw a long tail stretching out from the balloon. The tail snaked back and forth and did provide enough propulsion to counter the wind.

"Next: can you get us back to the lagoon?" I asked.

He increased the frequency of the tail's movements. The main bubble shuddered but moved forward. A faint sensation of familiarity crept into my mind.

"What?" asked Mewtwo when he noticed my concentration.

A sphere with a long tail for propulsion reminded me of sperm. My mind flashed through various images and ideas connected to sperm. I blushed and so did Mewtwo. Mewtwo also broke his concentration and we fell toward the sea.

I grabbed Mewtwo and tried to lift us both but I only managed to slow our fall, slightly.

"Bubbles and sperm! Bubbles and sperm! I love bubbles and sperm!" I shouted to convince myself and Mewtwo not to be embarrassed. But bubbles and eggs are shaped the same and I couldn't shake the image, until we hit the water.

Mewtwo pulled me to the water's surface. I coughed and gasped. "Can you swim?" he asked.

"Not as well as Yuki," I replied. My archery clothes were heavy with water, so I struggled out of them, and my shoes. Once I was free, Mewtwo took my hand and pulled me out of the water.

"Pretend it's a Clamperl shell," he stated. We were on a raft of psychic energy. "This shouldn't cause any embarrassment."

"Too bad you didn't do that before I took off my clothes and let them float away."

"You still have clothes on." He was referring to my bra and panties. "That is more than Orchid wears. You even wore less in this warm region."

"Oh fine," I replied and removed the last bits of my clothes.

"Is there something about this region that causes humans to react erratically with regard to their outer garments?"

I leaned against him and said, "Yes. Now get us to shore for the next lesson, and a bottle of sunscreen before I burn in very tender regions." I psychically retrieved my discarded clothes, but the shoes sank out of sight.

Mewtwo was lost in thought as he paddled his raft along. "I'm going ahead," I declared as I gathered my clothes and flew to the cabin. Once inside, I threw the ruined silk underwear in the trash, grabbed a bottle of sunscreen and oiled myself.

As I oiled myself, I searched the internet for simple examples of the principals of flight. I settled on balloons and paper airplanes. There was enough paper to make the airplanes, but balloons were in short supply…

There in a small crystal bowl, mixed with the complimentary mints were complimentary condoms. If I kept my mind closed and focused, then Mewtwo wouldn't be the wiser; so I took two packets that claimed to be fruit flavored. I removed one condom from the package, sniffed and tasted it.

[Send text to Head of Protection Products] "Why do our fruit flavored condoms taste like sick?"

The reply message read, "They don't. All products were thoroughly tested for flavor before and after regular use."

I checked the package, "All Natural Flavored, Jungle Fever Condom from Tropical Passions."

[Send text to Head of Protection Products] "Test these products for shelf life, especially in the tropics. Put expiration dates on the individual packets and send this to marketing."

I inspected all of the flavored condoms and noted their lot numbers. Mewtwo walked into the cabin as I was sucking on a condom that had most of its flavor.

"Is it dinnertime?" he asked.

"I'm just preparing for the next lesson." I inflated and released the condom and it flew across the room. "That is basically jet propulsion. If your balloon released its contents in one direction, the balloon would move in the other direction. At certain speeds it is considered more efficient than flapping tails and propellers."

He picked up one of the condoms and noted, "This smells rancid."

"I was going to get fresh ones in a moment. The second part of the lesson is demonstrated with a piece of paper." I took a sheet of Reef Island stationary and folded it into a basic airplane. I tossed the plane and it flew a few feet before it crashed. I checked my folding with the images from the internet, adjusted the wings slightly and tossed it again. This flight crossed the room before crashing. "This form is based upon flying Pokémon, where the wings provide lift."

Mewtwo stuck out his arms and flapped. "How can it lift, if there isn't anything substantive enough?"

I retrieved the airplane and consulted my Pokétch. "When the plane moves through the air, the air is split into two parts. The lower part has a higher pressure than the air on the upper part. This difference pushes against the wing and lifts the plane." I took the tasty condom from where it landed in the flower arrangement and inflated it. "The air inside has a higher pressure than the outside air." I placed the condom under the plane released the pressure. The plane moved upwards.

Mewtwo nodded in understanding.

"Any questions?"

"Can I have a new notepad, mine got wet."

"Sure. I'm going shopping. Will you be okay by yourself?"

"I would like to do full sized experiments based upon these ideas," he remarked.

"Then I better hurry," I replied, grabbed a yukata and flew towards the lodge. Inside the gift shop I grabbed a simple tankini, fresh (I hope) condoms and a waterproof notebook; charged it all to the room and hurried back to the cabin.

As I ran away from the lodge, Mewtwo mentally noted, "Orchid and her associates have returned."

I found a spot of privacy and flew to the sky.

"Hurry back! They fell to the ground and can't breathe!"

I burst through the cabin door to find three women, rolling on the floor and laughing uncontrollably. Their minds were stuck on the image of Mewtwo sucking on condoms, and inferring that he had used those condoms on me.

I teleported Orchid, Joy and Jen over the lagoon and let them fall in.

"I'll take care of this," I growled as I left the cabin.

When I reached the lagoon, the trio was still laughing. They noticed me and their mental imagery became more perverted than any video that I've produced, although some of their ideas could sell…

I tossed them further down the lagoon to the deeper water, dunked them and then placed them on the dry sand. "Okay, you've had a nice laugh; now stop it."

"But you don't understand…" started Jen.

"I'm psychic; I can see everything in your minds. I needed a balloon to demonstrate jet propulsion and all that I could find were condoms."

Their minds pondered 'jet propulsion'. Actually Jen and Ruth's minds imagined jet propulsion as various sex acts that involve large volumes of liquids injected into various sensitive cavities and then being expelled. Dr. Joy thought in terms of Tentacool and Octillery propulsion.

My assessment of Joy's professionalism was lost when she remembered having sex with an Octillery. I scanned their memories and found that they had just returned from lunch with Granny Orchid and celebrating their new employment prospects.

"One thing that I love about nondisclosure forms, is that if you say anything about what happened here today, I can sue the three of you into poverty and beyond," I growled.

"Beyond poverty?" asked Jen.

"We'll confiscated everything and legally keep you out of the industry for years."

"Okay, we'll stop," surrendered Ruth.

"Why are you three here?" I asked.

"We should ask you," replied Jen.

"This is our cabin. We own it and lease it to the resort," explained Joy.

"If we don't need it," added Ruth. "But since the lab is a mess, we're staying here. We've got an extra room if you want to stay too."

"Thank you. Just keep your thoughts professional. We need to stay focused on powered flight. Saffron City may be attacked by Hunter J in a few days, and I need him ready to fight in the air."

"The Hunter J?" asked Jen.

"Yes, she came back from another dimension, was hired by Team Rocket to capture Mewtwo, I stopped her in Sinnoh, but she escaped. That's all I can say at this time."

"Wouldn't it make more sense to recruit a flying Pokémon to teach the basics of flight and avoid condom balloons?" asked Ruth.

"Joy didn't use a condom when she did it with a Pidgeot," remarked Jen. Joy's mind recalled the thrill and terror of having sex with a Pidgeot during freefall.

"I am booking a cabin on the other side of the island," I muttered as I walked back to the cabin.

"Do you think Mewtwo would mind if I ran some 'tests' on him?" pleaded Joy. "Could I at least measure him?"

I returned to the cabin. Mewtwo's thoughts were coming from the bathroom. He was playing with the water. I peeked over his shoulder. He was observing how well the Caterpenis 600's 'pulse throbbing action' worked as a means of propulsion. "When the women fell to the floor, this toy fell out of the bag and was activated," he recounted. "It was moving across the floor, so I wanted to see if it worked in water."

"I think that the women will be back soon for their toy, so let's go to a different cabin where we can train in peace." I took my travel bag and we left. Mewtwo hopped along and made notes in his new notebook. "What experiments were you going to do?"

Mewtwo sprang high into the air, shaped his shield after the paper airplane and plummeted.

"Bigger." I suggested.

"Size matters?"

"You're heavier than most of the flying Pokémon. Lugia is heavier than you and has a much large wingspan than what you had. It's okay to start bigger and make things smaller later."

He leapt into the air again, formed a set of wings twice the size of Lugia's and glided. Unfortunately he glided backwards and flipped.

"Do you still have the paper airplane?"

He showed it to me.

"Make the wings simple like this shape and keep your weight here; that should make it more stable."

He jumped higher than before and formed a psychic delta wing overhead. He managed to glide in the right direction, but clipped off the top of a palm.

He made four more attempts before we reached our cabin and ran out of daylight. Dinner was waiting for us.

As we ate inside, Mewtwo asked, "So what is your assessment, sensei?"

"I think that I need to get a rope and pull you along tomorrow. That way you can perfect your wing shape. According to my sources, the optimum shape is this." I drew a basic wing cross section in his notebook.

"Is there something that I could practice before going to sleep?"

"Once you get a feeling for wings, you'll need a way to propel yourself forward." I used my knife to cut the tip of a fresh condom. I pinched the hole shut and inflated the condom. "Once I'm away from the ground, the only thing left to push on is the air itself. Flying Pokémon do that with their wings. The airplane we rode in a few days ago does this by taking air into a chamber, add heat to increase the pressure and then expel it in the other direction." I exposed the little hole in the condom and air squeaked out.

"Is this how you view propulsion?" he asked, as he examined the condom.

"Sort of, but it's kind of inside-out." I looked at my plate to stay focused. "I imagine the air rushing towards me; or rather I'm pulling on the air in the direction that I want to go."

"Pulling on the air…" pondered Mewtwo.

"I've had an exciting day, so I'm going to bed early," I announced. The cabin was small and there was only one bedroom, albeit with a large bed. The thought of sharing a bed with Mewtwo stirred something inside me, so I went to the bath to wash away those thoughts and the salts from crashing into the ocean.

I untied my hair from the braid. The hair sprang out in random directions. I soaked and lathered it with shampoo. A peek in the mirror showed that I looked like a Tangela that lost a snowball fight. I rinsed out the soap and used a detangle conditioner. I carefully worked a brush through my hair; it responded by impersonating a Mantine as it sprang out at the sides.

I returned the hair to a braid and went outside to find Mewtwo.

The cool breeze on my naked wet skin sent shivers down my spine; down my spine and to my hungry lips.

"Wasn't dinner sufficient?" asked Mewtwo.

"Excuse me?" I asked and needlessly covered myself.

He was sitting with his back to me and expending his psychic energy on the air.

"Your thoughts were of hunger and wanting," he explained. "For some reason some of your thoughts are louder than others."

"The cool breeze caught me off guard," I fibbed.

I walked up to him and put my hands on his shoulders.

"You are pulling the air," I observed.

"I'm trying," he corrected. "I haven't left the ground, so I'm not pulling hard enough."

"You'll get it soon enough. I have complete confidence in your ability."

"Why?"

"Because anyone who would put up with me, and stand watch over me, has to be a being of strong convictions and abilities," I replied.

He was blushing. I could feel the breeze warmed by the heat coming of his head and neck. That hot and throbbing neck was so close that I couldn't resist touching it. At first I leaned close and felt its heat against my stomach. I sensed his heartbeat and his power, but I needed more. I wanted it to thrill me. I lifted myself onto my toes and stretched as tall as I could so I could press that throbbing member against my greedy, hungry lips.

"Ow!" I shrieked as a spasm of pain shot through my foot. Mewtwo spun and caught me before I hit the ground.

"You are hungry," he observed. "You didn't eat for over a day while you were chained. Perhaps you should have some more."

There was one thing that I wanted.

"What kind of fruit is that?" he asked.

"What fruit?" I blinked.

"The one in your mind. It was shaped like those balloons that you bought."

"Bananas," I blurted out. "Lots of vitamins, tasty, nice shape," I explained. "I'm going to the lodge and get some nice, big, fresh bananas." I worked my way out of his arms. "You keep working and I'll go have a snack."

I flew around the island and towards the lights of the all night bar. I landed discreetly, walked up to the bar and sat down. Dozens of naked people were dancing, making out or just doing it in the hot tub.

"What do you need, miss?" asked the bartender.

"Do you have payapa liquor?"

"No ma'am. How about an Island Reefer?"

"How about some fresh bananas and a hot green tea," I replied.

I had my mind and my abilities, but part of me was losing control around Mewtwo.

"Hey pretty lady, would you care for a double header?" asked a man behind me.

"No," I replied to the man.

He wanted to argue, but the bartender cut in and said, "No means no, mon. You know the rules. Plenty of fish in dis sea. See?"

"Thanks," I replied as I sipped the tea.

"Trouble in paradise, miss? Not many ladies look like you and settle for bananas."

I peeled a banana and took a bite.

"Hey, look at that, someone here knows that you can eat them," he joked.

I choked down the mouthful of banana as I laughed.

"We can't have unhappy customers. So what the problem? He can't get it up? She's not in the mood? Your first time? Afraid that you'll be picking fur out of someplace tender?"

"People tell you about problems like that?" I asked.

"Give 'em a few drinks and they'll talk about anything."

"I brought someone here. But my mind wanders and I think dirty thoughts."

"This is Reef Island miss," he pointed out. "People come here to do 'dirty' things 'cause the reefs are okay and the surfing's no good."

"He has someone else and I want to help him find her."

"If she came here, you've got your work cut out for you. She'll be playing a double-header with Charlie, your friend will find out, and things will get ugly. Better you go back and tell your friend that you love him."

"What?"

"You didn't even look to see what kind of banana Charlie was carrying, that means you only have eyes for your friend."

"But I have someone else. I can't cheat on her again."

"Forbidden fruit," he declared as he shook his head. "In that case you better settle for bananas, or for something with batteries from the gift shop."

I finished the tea. "Bananas will have to do. Thanks." I took the fruit and walked into the dark jungle. Once alone, I flew back to the other side of the island.

Mewtwo was resting against the cabin, at the end of a shallow trench.

"Progress?" I asked.

"Pushing seems easier than pulling," he replied. "I left a bit of a skid mark."

I focused on the lingering pain in my foot as I peeled a second banana. "Well wash and dry yourself before you go to bed. Goodnight."

I ate a third banana before I crawled into bed. I listened to the water running as Mewtwo washed himself. I closed my mind to everything except my feet. Rest and heal.

I tried to close my mind to other things, but thoughts about Hunter J and Team Rocket kept me awake. How much did they know about me? Could they track me to here? What is that rustling noise? The only nearby thoughts were from Mewtwo.

I turned on the light and Mewtwo shielded his eyes.

"I'm sorry Mewtwo. Did you hear that sound?"

He held up his notebook and pencil. "Was I keeping you awake?" he asked.

"My thoughts were keeping me awake. What were you doing?"

"Drawing," he replied.

"In the dark?"

"There is sufficient moon and starlight to see by."

"May I see?"

He sheepishly turned his notebook and showed me three sketches of me. "These are very good," I remarked.

"One can only sketch so many criminals and crime scenes. I like to draw pleasant things as a relief and as mementos."

"I'm flattered that you want to remember me." I think I was blushing. "Is there any position you want me to take." What made me say that?

"About there is fine," he replied, "but it is too bright."

I turned off the light and propped myself up with the pillows.

Mewtwo returned to sketching. I could hear the breeze through the palms and the ocean hitting the nearby rocks.

"When did you learn to draw?"

"A few months ago, Kitten insisted that field agents record everything they can in notebooks. So we recruited a Smeargle to teach us to draw."

"Who's Kitten?"

"That's the given name of my Mewtwo. She was found by Kangaskhan who thought that she looked like an underdeveloped Kangaskhan. When Mewtwo exhibited curiosity in everything, the name just stuck."

"Do you have sketches of her?"

"My notebook didn't survive the journey here."

"I'm sorry."

"Why?"

"You lost your drawings of her."

"That notebook didn't contain anything important. I probably filled a notebook every day, and they're all in storage."

"Could you draw me a sketch of her?"

"I could try," he replied and turned a page in his book.

Nothing happened for a while until I said, "Is it hard for you to draw her?"

"Since she's not here, all of my memories rush together and make it difficult to hold one image. Could you help me by posing as her?"

"I don't have a tail."

"I don't hold that against you," he replied as he tried various light switches. "That's about the light I want. Now, please lie on your stomach and face the light. Could you prop up your head with your hands? Thank you." He scattered the pillows and sheets around the bed, and then sat by the window and drew.

I turned my head to look at him.

"Please face the light," he replied.

"What was she looking at?" I asked.

"Everything," replied Mewtwo wistfully. "Rainbows, rain storms, clouds, sunrises and sunsets; she really enjoyed the view from my home."

I asked, "What was she looking at between the sunsets and sunrises?"

"The stars and moon, same as you have here."

"That's all you would do? You'd just watch the stars and draw?"

"Usually this was after a long mission, so we would sleep."

"I'm jealous."

"Why?"

"Because she had a wonderfully romantic location and a sensitive companion and she'd just watch the stars."

"What would you do in such a situation?" he asked.

"I'd fuck your brains out," I thought to myself.

"Is that like astral projection?" asked Mewtwo.

"You've heard of that?" I squeaked.

"The shifting nature of our world makes it difficult to return to one's body."

I imagined a sunset and kept my mind focused on that.

"I think if you two met, she would be envious of you," commented Mewtwo.

"Why?"

"Because you know who you are and what your future holds."

"It's just a title," I replied.

"What title?"

"Princess Sabrina."

"It's not the title that's important. What is important is the history. You know who your parents are. Neither Kitten nor I know that. I was at peace with that. But Kitten wasn't; her memories were only weeks old. That's why she was so curious about everything and pushed herself so hard to learn and unlock her past." In a quiet voice, he added, "Maybe she found them."

"That would be good, wouldn't it?"

"She was always torn between what she was building for herself and what she couldn't remember."

"She wasn't building something just for herself, you were a part too."

He chuckled to himself. "True. She made me the Chief of the guild."

"See?"

"But that was so the clients would bother me and leave her alone."

"I don't believe that. You are way too talented," I argued.

"Thank you."

I could feel a light presence on my face. "Is that your aura sense?"

"Yes," he replied. "If I'm unable to return to my world, what kind of future is there for me here?"

"I'm sure that we can stop Team Rocket, Hunter J and Agent Looker from trying to take you," I offered.

"But what can I do for myself? Will I be like your Mewtwo and pretend to be human? Will I have rights? Will I just be viewed as property?"

"I wouldn't."

"But you keep your own Pokémon in those balls."

"For their own safety."

"Have you ever been put in one of those things?"

I smiled and replied, "Yes. Except I wasn't put, I entered on my own."

"Why?"

"I was young and curious. It's not supposed to work on humans so I had to conclude that I'm not completely human."

"What is the other part?"

"If the stories and legends are true, then one of my ancestors is Mew. Many royal families make a claim of an ancestor that came from the heavens or was a powerful Pokémon. So I assumed it was a fairytale. But when I learned about the Mewtwo of this world, having a Pokémon as an ancestor became a real possibility. If there is a place in the world where Pokémon and humans could live together as equals, it will probably be Saffron City and this island."

"Our meals were served by a Pokémon."

"Yes and humans make the beds. But the guests are humans and Pokémon."

"Since we were in hiding, I couldn't observe the other guests. I'm sorry for doubting you."

"We could observe the other guests."

"How?" asked Mewtwo as he turned another page in his notebook.

"Astral projection," I offered.

"They wouldn't know that they were being observed?"

"No."

"I'm sorry, but that wouldn't be ethical."

"You are probably the nicest guy I've ever met."

"Thank you. Would you like the see?"

"Yes please."

He had two sketches, one of me and one of Kitten in the same pose. There were subtle, but important differences between Mewtwo and Kitten. She was a little bit softer at the edges and her eyes had a sparkling wonder, where his eyes were knowing and a little sad.

"Is there any position you would like next?"

"What position do you think is characteristic of you?"

"Missionary," I thought.

"?"

"Not missionary," I corrected. "My Pokémon claim that I stand in an arrogant way, like this." I stood with my arms down, palms forward and my head tilted down.

He sketched.

"Wait."

"Don't move please," he replied.

"But…"

"This is important."

"But…"

He moved around behind me and continued to sketch.

"Could we move this outside?" he asked and I complied.

There I was naked under the stars while Mewtwo sketched, and probed. He stood about ten paces away and felt me with his aura. I shivered at his touch. He started with my face and focused on my lips. He sketched quickly and turned a page. Again he explored my lips and sketched. He moved downward to my neck and shoulders.

He reached my breasts. He methodically explored every little bump. I reached out with my own aura and pulled his aura to cover my breasts like a strong pair of hands. He tried to move his aura lower but I wanted him on my breasts so bad.

He broke contact with his aura. "Please don't move," he instructed. He psychically pushed my hands back into position and explored them with his aura. I was so hungry for his touch. Then the worst part of the teasing was when he shifted his aura from one hand to the other and right past the hungriest part of my body.

I seized his aura and thrust it into me. I wanted the forbidden fruit right there. My mind burned, "I want you! Fill me with your power!" I took Mewtwo's aura on a tour of my most sensitive and intimate spots. I shifted my legs apart and pulled his aura in deeper.

His aura broke off. "You are leaking," he commented.

I covered myself in shame, ran inside and went directly to the bathroom for a cold shower. I whispered to myself, "We're here to train Mewtwo. Both of us have given our hearts to another. Be professional." I stayed in the cold shower till I stopped shivering from fear and lust. I wrapped myself tightly in a yukata and went to bed.

Mewtwo was sleeping in the farthest corner of the room from the bed. I wrapped myself up in every blanket that I could find.

I dreamt of flying around the towers of Saffron City. I played tag with a flock of Pidgey. I flew to the top of Saffron Tower and dove over the other side. Jean and Yuki shrieked as I went past. Ash and his Charizard charged in from the north. "Hey funny boy; time for a rematch," I mocked. Charizard roared and dove after me.

I raced towards the narrow alleys of the older part of town. They followed for a while, but I lost them on the fourth turn. I doubled back and found them eating lunch at a beef bowl shop.

"What kind of race is this?" I demanded.

"Misty works us too hard, so we need to repack our sausages with meat," replied Ash with a wink. Both he and his Charizard were naked, except for lab coats. Both were fully erect and growing bigger.

I took to the sky like a rocket.

"Oh great, you're trying to upstage me again!" complained a woman with long red hair. She was washing windows with James and Meowth.

I turned and saw the giant screen on the side of the Saffron TV Building show a clip of Dr. Joy have strange sex with an Octillery.

I turned toward the moon and flew as fast as I could.

Mewtwo flew alongside me. A minute later both Mewtwos were racing me to the moon. The air grew thin. A Mewtwo encased himself in sphere and pushed on with a long tail. The moon became an egg. Mewtwo penetrated the egg and I was cast down.

A giant, naked Hunter J was laughing at me, "Why capture Pokémon, when I can breed them!" She gave birth to hundreds of Mewtwos that chased me into the ground.

I woke. I was soaked with sweat. The wind was calm, the cabin was stuffy and I had too many blankets. Mewtwo was still asleep in the corner. I walked out to find some fresher air. The cabin was surrounded by palms, but a short walk away and I was overlooking the ocean.

I sat on a smooth rock and listened to the waves.

"What's wrong?" asked Mewtwo. He handed me a banana.

"I'm not right in the head," I replied.

"If kissing a Pikachu wasn't a symptom of that, then it could be a cause."

"Did you see me do it?"

"There was a blinding flash followed by lots of shouting. Your friends took charge of the situation. Pikachu looked like he enjoyed it. Are you sure that your ancestor wasn't a Jynx instead of a Mew?"

"The story varies."

"Besides from the rather Smoochum like tendencies, your psychic style is more similar to a Jynx than what I assume would be Mew's."

"Go on."

"They way you stand, your hair and your lack of horns and tail results in you focusing your sensitivity forward. Our quartermaster is a Jynx and she can find the smallest item in farthest corner of the storeroom, yet she forgets she has a pencil behind her ear."

I gave a little laugh.

"Don't tell her that I told you that, or she'll hide all of my things."

"That's no way to treat the boss," I giggled.

"Perhaps, but if she quits then as the boss I'm responsible. I lived for years on a cloud and collecting items was not a possibility. Kitten's record keeping would drive a Kangaskhan to tears."

I laughed at my own memories of Yuki and Jean doing things that they knew had to be done.

"Now that you've had a good laugh, will you tell me what's wrong, so we can move ahead?"

I was silent.

"The outcome of the upcoming battle may be determined by our trust in each other."

"I want you. Not as a Pokémon in a Pokéball, or as a trophy. I want you, like you want Kitten."

"I'm flattered. But shouldn't you pursue a relationship with one of your own species?"

"I spent most of my life wondering if I was human, Pokémon or both. My humanity was awakened and I longed for human contact, but once I had it, I was repulsed. Then I longed for psychics and started a relationship with Yuki." I took off my Pokétch. "But I pushed myself. I was injured in a battle with Froslass. I had a teleport accident and disappeared. When I returned I had Pokérus; so my humanity was pushed aside and I became like a Pokémon, hungry for battle. I destroyed my gym. I almost destroyed my relationship with Yuki when I lusted after Mewtwo. I even brought him here."

"Mewtwo still respects you highly," remarked Mewtwo.

"Respect?"

"Fears," corrected Mewtwo. "Perhaps a mixture of the two."

"I have that effect on men."

"So you said about Agent Looker."

"Did he really cry like a girl and wet himself?" I asked.

"Yes and I put up with the smell until Yuki brought some cleaning equipment."

"Why did you stay?"

"To protect you from yourself. I said that I convinced the others not to cut your feet off. I didn't tell you that you screamed for them to cut off your feet. Your own Alakazam was in such pain that she attacked you. Yuki wanted you to live so much that she was the only being I could trust. You're crying."

"I'm crying out of shame. She did that for me, and I was going to throw it away so I could satisfy some primal lust."

"That behavior is very common amongst Pokémon; both in my world and this."

"But it is important to you, so I shouldn't interfere with your relationship with Kitten."

"And I won't interfere with your relationship with Yuki," he replied. "I hope that there is a relationship with Kitten. If I can find her and if she wants me back, that is."

"If she doesn't want you back, then there will be two Mewtwos that will fear me."

Mewtwo held up his hand and said, "Three."

"Am I that scary?"

"You kissed a Pikachu, on purpose."

"And don't you forget it."

"I won't," he replied, "because I sketched it."

"You didn't."

"I had to do it from memory, but I think I have the basic idea."

"Give me that!"

Mewtwo was on his feet and out of reach. "This is important evidence. I can't have you interfering with my investigation," he teased.

"There's going to be another missing Pokémon in a few seconds," I growled.

He sprang into a long, lazy back flip, stuck out his tongue and then disappeared into the undergrowth.

"I'm a psychic too!" I shouted as I went after him. I scanned on every frequency that I knew. He wasn't there. The only aura was from the trees and rocks. Psychically there was nothing and I couldn't find his spirit. I cautiously stepped forward.

The ground; he must be underground! I scanned into the earth and looked for any irregularity that could indicate Dig.

I was grabbed from behind! My arms were pinned and something grabbed my leg!

"I warned you about being blindsided," commented Mewtwo calmly.

"Where's that sketch?"

"In my head."

His strong arms were wrapped around my torso. My breasts were resting on his fuzzy arms. "I was hoping that you would take me in your arms," I said softly.

"But not like this," he added.

"True. But it's late and past my bedtime."

"I'll walk you back," he offered and did. I climbed into bed and he sat watch by the door.

I went to sleep dreaming of the surf crashing onto the rocks.


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Lemon Warning: If you don't know what a lemon is or you know you're not supposed to read it, then don't.

Possession is Nine Tenths of the Law

Part 3

Mile High Club

I woke on a tropical island to the sounds of waves crashing onto rocks. Mewtwo was sitting on the floor; his eyes were barely open.

"You spent the whole night by the door?" I asked.

"Of course," he replied without opening his eyes, "I had to be ready to escape from the scary psychic."

I threw a pillow at him and he caught it.

"I hope that you can throw better than that in battle," commented Mewtwo.

"Are you going to say that I throw like a girl?"

"What are they?" he asked. He threw a sharpened pencil out the window and through three palm trees. "Hunter J made herself vulnerable by allowing you to teleport debris to her fortress. We should assume that won't happen the next time."

"Her fortress is stronger than palm trees," I remarked.

"If the target and the projectile are of a similar nature, I should be able to penetrate it."

I rummaged around the kitchen and then went outside with a wok and flatware. Mewtwo propped the wok against a palm tree, took a few steps back and selected a table knife. As he focused on the tip of the knife I could sense his power flowing into it and carrying it along through the air and through the wok.

"Can you teach me that?" I asked.

"I could try," he replied. "But we have several items on our agenda."

"I'm sending a request for breakfast and supplies for your flight training, so until then…?"

"First, have you had any similar training?"

"I practiced the bow."

"What is that?" he asked.

I mentally replayed my practice with the bow, stringing the bow, inspecting the bow and curving arrows around targets.

"Interesting, a device that increases the speed and power of the projectile," he remarked. "Was the principal of your study to control the flight of the projectile to the target and let its momentum do the damage?"

"Yes."

"Gap Prober is a very useful skill when you don't want to hit your allies. If you wish to control the flight of this projectile, you can do so by applying pressure to any point along its length," he explained while holding the spoon. "But for it to penetrate this wok, or that palm, you have to will the tip to go through." He jabbed the bowl of the spoon into the wok, and bent the spoon. He turned the spoon around, held it close to the end of the handle and pushed the end of the spoon through the wok. "The skill is not to force the projectile though the target; I know you could do that with power alone. The skill is to pull the projectile through the target with a minimum of force. Otherwise you may as well use Aura Sphere."

"I see how our training styles differ," I remarked.

Mewtwo looked up at the canopy and psychically removed two large palm fronds. He placed them on the short grass and handed me a pebble. "If you use too much power then you'll rip the leaf to shreds," he instructed.

I took the pebble, wrapped it my energy and shot it through the leaf.

Mewtwo picked up another pebble from the gravel path and compared it to the hole that I made through the leaf. The hole in the leaf had three times the diameter of the pebble. "Too much power?" I asked.

He nodded.

I threw the next pebble with less power. Mewtwo inspected the leaf and showed a long tear that was caused by the pebble. "Not enough power," I concluded.

Mewtwo nodded again.

I shot up both fronds before breakfast and supplies arrived by Delibird. Considering that Prof. Orchid and her friends are regular guests, the resort has probably granted stranger requests than a pair of water skiing tow ropes.

After breakfast, I took the tow ropes and looked for a place to work.

"What do we do with those?" asked Mewtwo.

"We fly kites."

"What are kites?"

"We are, with practice." The wind was blowing steadily, but towards the trees. We walked in a direction that hopefully suited our purposes. A half an hour later we found the right spot. Mewtwo tied one end of each rope to a heavy log. I took the other end of a rope, formed a wing of psychic energy and flew into the sky. "I'm just using the wind to keep me in the air."

Mewtwo did as I did, but he whipped about until he made a psychic tail to stabilize his flight. With his flight steady, he next practiced climbing and diving. I followed suit.

"How long did you practice this skill?" he asked as he got closer.

"This is my first time as a kite," I replied over the wind, "but I did have some tutoring from a Noctowl."

"You are doing very well for a first time."

"You learn quicker than I did."

"What the?" asked a passing Wingull. The Wingull took up position next to us. "What are you doing up here?"

"We're learning to fly," I replied.

"Uh, what's that you're holding?"

"Ropes so we don't fly away," I explained.

"You want to fly, but you don't want to fly. Humans are crazy," concluded the Wingull. He floated over to Mewtwo and said, "Better to stay on the ground."

I exchanged glances with Mewtwo and we released the tow ropes. We both flew backwards with the breeze.

"Told you so," mocked the Wingull as it stayed where it was.

"He's balancing all the forces to keep himself in place," I projected to Mewtwo. "He's also using very little energy to hover there."

We spent the next hour trying to hover alongside the Wingull. When we finally did, we found Wingull snoring.

"This hovering may take little energy, but I burned through a lot of power to learn it," I remarked to Mewtwo.

"Then we should take a break and prepare to leave."

"Leave?"

Mewtwo surged ahead; his psychic backwash caused Wingull and me to tumble. There was a tall spray of water as he practiced a high speed turn over the ocean and returned.

"You can fly," I declared. "So after lunch, we'll go to Professor Oak and get his help in finding Kitten."

"Lunch?" asked Wingull.

"We should pay him for his services," remarked Mewtwo.

We did.

After a hearty lunch, I put on my new tankini and washed archery clothes, packed my bag and headed for the lodge.

"Where are you going?" asked Mewtwo.

"Back to the lodge so I can teleport home," I remarked.

"I would rather fly to our destination."

"Do you know how far away it is?"

"No. I don't even know what direction. But I need the practice and I'm not that comfortable with teleportation."

"You'll have to carry me," I argued.

"I'm used to that."

I climbed onto his back, psychically made myself as light as possible and consulted my Pokétch for directions to Pallet Town. "That way," I pointed.

Mewtwo encased us in a winged shell and propelled us in the direction that I pointed.

"Can you determine how long it will take?" he asked.

My Pokétch estimated the trip would take ten hours. "About a half a day of travel at this speed," I replied.

Mewtwo made some changes to his altitude and wing shape. He concluded, "It's easier if I go higher."

"But the air is thinner and colder," I added.

"Then I should be on top," he remarked.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"I can protect you better from the cold if you move to my front," he explained as he offered me his hand. I shifted around till I felt like a toddler clutching its mother. He wrapped his arms around me and asked, "Ready?"

"For what?"

His speed increased steadily and we began to climb. The sky above us grew to a very dark blue. Mewtwo's body grew hot. "This may get rough. Make sure you protect yourself in case there's a breach," he warned.

The psychic shell shuddered. The strain on Mewtwo was visible as he breathed harder. We lurched back and forth. "There's some kind of barrier," he mentally noted.

"Isn't this fast enough?" I asked.

"I've come this far. How will I know what I'm capable of if I don't go all the way?"

He slowed then accelerated to break through his barrier. He grunted with strain as he thrust forward.

"You're the projectile now," I thought. "Pull yourself through."

I tightened my shells around me.

"I feel it!" he declared and thrust forward with greater effort than before. The shuddering stopped. The noise and pressure subsided. "We're on the other side," he noted.

I ventured a thought to my Pokétch, but the gps feature declared our speed to be an error.

"Was it good for you?" he thought.

"I'm fine," I replied. I opened my senses to observe Mewtwo's psychic shell, which was cylindrical with a cone at the leading edge. The cone was flanged so the shockwaves hit the cylinder where his feet were. He was psychically pushing against the shock wave with waves of his power.

"I got the idea from Ruth's toy," he remarked.

This is a rocket. This is a supersonic rocket.

"The toy achieved forward motion by moving the bathwater with its undulating ribs."

We were still over the ocean and moving too fast for the gps to calculate anything.

"We'll need something to breathe. So I better open an air hole." There was a whistling sound as a tiny gap opened in the tip (nose) of the condom (shell!). The rapid pressure change caused the airstream to turn a milky white.

"Can you see land?" I asked.

"In the distance," he answered. "Oh Sabrina! This is the best I've ever felt. Yes!" He was high and pushed himself even harder. "We're almost there! Work with me! Push!"

I added my strength to his thrust and got caught up in his enthusiasm.

Soon we were both physically thrusting ourselves forward as we tried to squeeze out more speed.

"We're almost there. Just a little more… and now!"

We stopped thrusting and I blacked out. When I regained my senses, I was still in Mewtwo's arms and we were slowly falling to the ground. His mind was a sea of bliss. I caught a glimpse of houses in the distance before I closed my eyes and snuggled closer to Mewtwo's warmth.

The glow was spoiled when our psychic shell crashed into the tree tops. "I'm spent," declared Mewtwo. I had enough reserves of energy left to get us to the ground. "I never knew flying could be so much fun."

"That wasn't flying you idiot. That was sex," I corrected. "You took me to heaven in a psychic penis, ribbed for my enjoyment, and broke through the sound barrier's virginity." I made mental diagrams of what I meant. I took his hand and shoved it under my clothes. "You made me cum with your thrusting and pushing."

"I'm sorry?"

"Don't be. But you better help me explain this to Yuki," I giggled.

"Should we go?"

"No. We should go again."

"Where?"

I released his hand and tickled my way down his body to what wasn't ticklish. There it was, Mewtwo's other pair of lips; hidden by fur and hiding something else. He didn't have the strength to resist my probing fingers. His inner manhood couldn't resist me either.

"But…"

"Stop being human and act like a Pokémon for a change," I growled and I coaxed out his 'rocket'. As it lengthened, I pointed out, "This is where we were. These are the ribs that you pushed with. Here's the nose cone and here's the air hole." I gave the hole a little lick. "You see, it's not air that's supposed to come in."

I held him down with his penis, as I undressed.

"What are you going to do?" he shuddered.

"Help you break the sound barrier," I purred. I removed the condom variety pack from my bag and selected a Rhydon sized condom. "This wasn't meant for flying." I rolled the condom down his penis and placed my wet lips over his tip. "Doesn't this feel familiar?" I forced him through the barrier of my lips.

"Sabrina?"

"Say it like you want it. Say it like you want to go faster and higher," I purred.

"Sabrina!"

I bounced up and down on his hips.

"Sabrina," he growled.

I put his hands on my hips. He bounced me faster.

"Sabrina!"

"Mewtwo, faster!"

"Sabrina?"

"Not yet," I ordered as I psychically held him back. "We come together."

"But…" he strained.

"Almost… and now!"

"Sabrina!"

"YES!"

He filled the condom until we overflowed onto his lap. He looked panicked from the strange sensation. I gently kissed his furry lips and massaged him with my vagina to drain him.

We held each and enjoyed each other's warmth.

"I think it landed over here Professor!"

"Damn it!" I whispered.

"What?" thought Mewtwo, who was reluctant to come out of his trance.

"I can't be seen like this," I declared.

Mewtwo looked hurt.

"I have to be human for a while," I explained as I scrambled to gather my clothes. I put on my top, but hesitated with the tankini bottom.

Mewtwo felt my distress, rushed in and licked me clean. I gripped his head as his rasped tongue cleaned me. "Inside too," I begged and shuddered. "The other way," I projected to the search party. Mewtwo obliged by turning over his tongue. "That's the spot," I declared to the retreating human thoughts.

I came and collapsed onto Mewtwo. "This is counterproductive," he remarked.

I kissed the back of his second spine. "Not from where I'm standing," I gasped.

"You're not standing at all," he observed and pulled my tankini bottom up and into place.

"I am so glad that your penis isn't barbed."

"So that is what you call it."

"What do you call it?"

"I thought of it as a second tail," he replied. His penis lazily swished one way, then whipped in the other direction and threw off the used condom. Lastly the tail bent into a circle and scratched itself.

"I'll tell you it was over here," argued a second, familiar voice.

"Put that thing away, before we're discovered," I mentally ordered.

"It's not easy to do," thought Mewtwo.

"Then stay out of sight." I pulled up my archery pants, secured the sash and staggered in the direction of the humans.

"Tracy, over here!" Professor Gary Oak was waving to his assistant.

"Doing research?" I wheezed.

"Hello Sabrina. We were searching for an unidentified flying Pokémon. The Self Defense Force spotted it doing Mach 2 over the ocean and then it disappeared over these woods. Have you seen anything?"

"Nothing worth reporting," I replied. "Is your grandfather available?"

I could feel the Gary's disappointment. "He's having dinner with Mrs. Ketchum."

"Could you point the way back to town?" He did. "You're not the only one who's in competition with a grandparent Professor Oak."

"Hello Sabrina. What are you doing in Pallet Town?" asked Tracy.

"Research; it's amazing what you can find in the bush."

"I'll say. Would you like to see some sketches I've made recently?" asked Tracy as he opened his sketchbook.

"Maybe later," I replied and cocked my head towards Gary.

Tracy sighed and followed his boss.

When they were out of sight, I ducked back into the undergrowth for Mewtwo.

"I think I need a bath," he observed.

"We'll take care of that soon. Let's get what we need from Prof. Oak and we can go."

I opened my senses for any potential observers as we ran to Pallet Town, darted amongst the hedges and reached the Ketchum residence. I rang the doorbell and there was no answer.

"There's someone in there," observed Mewtwo. He pointed to the second story. We dashed to the side of the house and levitated up to the window.

"Hehwo Abrina," greeted Delia Ketchum with her mouth full. Professor Sam Oak and Mr. Mime went pale, but Mr. Mime still managed to keep Delia revolving.

"?" thought Mewtwo.

"Spit roast: A sex act in which the female is penetrated in both ends by two males. They've decided to rotate her as well," I mentally explained to Mewtwo.

Mr. Mime and Sam became flaccid out of fear.

"I told you it's hard to put it away," commented Mewtwo.

"Would you two care for some dinner? Mr. Mime has plenty. I mean Mr. Mime made plenty for everyone," offered Delia.

I psychically opened the window so we could enter. "I really need to talk to the Professor. We'll wait for him downstairs," I replied. I waved my hand in front of Sam's face. He was still in shock. "I hope he'll come around soon."

"Oh he's cum plenty of times already," replied Delia. "I make him presentable in a moment."

Mewtwo and I found our way downstairs to the living room. The room was decorated with mementos of Ash: wedding photos, tournament photos and various trophies. Mewtwo was gazing at a photo and noting how lifelike it was.

"They're not drawings," I explained, "It's a technology thing."

"Are there such images of you?"

"It can be arranged."

"We met him on the island, didn't we?"

"Yes. The nice woman upstairs is his mother."

"So that man is his father?"

"Probably not, and don't bring up anything."

"My lips are sealed."

"Not for long," I teased.

Minutes later, Professor Samuel Oak descended the stairs wearing his traditional lab coat. "So Sabrina, I see you've met Mewtwo," he observed.

Delia followed the Professor down the stairs and flashed me a knowing smile.

"Professor this isn't the Mewtwo you know. There are at least two, and hopefully three, of them on this world. We need your help in finding the third."

"Three? How?"

"This one came from another dimension in pursuit of his mate. We have met the other Mewtwo and he is not the correct one. I know that my father has partial access to your Pokédex database so he can track teleporting Pokémon. Please, can we have access to your Mewtwo records?"

"Certainly. I can accept the idea of other dimensions, but how could they produce another Mewtwo? What do you know of your origins?"

"I'm sorry but he doesn't understand human speech," I remarked.

"But you can act as an interpreter?" asked the Professor hopefully.

"Now Sam, I think that they have pressing matters to attend to," interjected Delia.

"But a second Mewtwo…"

"Later Sam. First you're going to the lab to help Miss Sabrina, and then we're going to have dinner," instructed Delia in a motherly way. She helped him to the door. "Have fun you two."

"Interesting couple," thought Mewtwo.

"Yes. Next we need to get back home. This time we don't have to go supersonic. Can you make it?"

"My options for powered flight include a flying penis or sperm? How am I supposed to focus?"

"Don't you know any flying Pokémon?"

"Our recruitment officer is a Togekiss."

"Then mimic that shape and follow me." I stepped out the front door of the Ketchum house and levitated.

Mewtwo followed, so we raced to the forest.

"I like having the skies to ourselves," I thought.

"I feel exposed," complained Mewtwo.

"Are you using the flying penis again?"

"No. I mean that above the trees we are easy targets. If Hunter J has a Salamance, then she'll have more flying experience than we do."

"Then let's go recruit some flying Pokémon," I offered. I set my Pokétch for Melanie's house and changed course.

"This form does require more corrections than the (sigh) flying penis," commented Mewtwo.

"I just go with a form that I'm comfortable with," I replied as I performed a barrel roll around Mewtwo.

"I was comfortable with my original form."

"Maybe you can use it to comfort me again," I teased as I flew under him.

He ignored my comments and tested new shapes. His speed and control changed with each form. I checked my Pokédex for flying Pokémon and didn't see an advantage to using any of them over my basic Noctowl form. Next I checked for levitating Pokémon and Latios and Latias caught my attention. I tried to mimic their shape and found the form to be less stable, but faster.

Mewtwo's experiments led to a similar shape.

We turned up the speed and raced to Melanie's house. We landed ten minutes later, tired and satisfied.

"You remembered us," commented a Pidgeot.

"Congratulations on evolving," I replied. "I was hoping that your flock would come back to Saffron City and help us with an important battle."

"Against the Murkrow?"

"No, this opponent is worse. It's a human who wants to steal Mewtwo. We'll be fighting against at least a Salamence and a flying steel building."

"Salamence is a flying pussy," boasted a Pidgeotto, who got smacked on the head by Pidgeot.

"Watch your language!" scolded the flock's matriarch.

"Why?"

"Because she can understand every word you say."

The Pidgeotto looked from the matriarch to me.

I smiled and said, "You must be really confident as a Pidgeotto to say that about a Salamence." I looked into his mind. "That's why you're so confident. You were thinking of a Venomoth, which is a bug type with a wingspan of this much." I stretched out my arms. "A Salamence is a dragon type that is bigger than Pidgeot."

A second Pidgeot and a Pidgeotto moved in between the cocky Pidgeotto and the matriarch.

While the upstart was being put in his place, the matriarch asked, "What do you need of us?"

"Your experience, speed and numbers," I listed. "Mewtwo and I can fly with our psychic abilities, but together we have less flying experience than a Pidgey. For myself, I can't fly and use strong attacks at the same time."

The matriarch scratched at the ground as she thought. "This is a serious decision I have to make for the flock. May I give you my answer tomorrow?" she asked.

"Certainly," I replied with a short bow. I turned to Mewtwo and thought. "We need to put on a little display. We'll fly quickly straight up, level off and head towards my home."

"Got it," thought Mewtwo without showing concern.

I called upon all of my reserves of power to push off and fly towards Saffron City. Mewtwo followed a few feet behind for a few minutes. "Are we out of sight of them?" he asked.

"I think so," I replied.

Mewtwo enveloped my psychic shell with his own and put his arms around me. "Point the way."

I checked my Pokétch for directions to home and nudged Mewtwo in the right direction.

"Do you think your little show will convince her?" asked Mewtwo.

"You understand what I was doing?"

"You talked to the matriarch as an equal and leave with a show of strength to inflate her sense of importance; I've done that plenty of times. I also realized that you have used too much of your reserve energy and almost to the point of collapse. You should have had more bananas."

"If you're offering…"

"I meant, 'eat some food'."

"I swallow."

"I should find a lake to drop you in," he grumbled.

"It's winter. If I don't crash into a patch of ice, then I could get hypothermia. But here is the edge of the city, and there is Saffron Tower."

We landed in the moss garden and entered my apartment.

I used my Pokétch to reserve the Pallet Room. "Wait here," I pleaded as I raced into the apartment to find Yuki. I passed by Gardevoir and Espeon, both of whom gave me an icy stare. I found Yuki still in bed. "Yuki, wake up."

"Good morning," replied Yuki with a forced smile.

"It's afternoon and it hasn't been good has it?"

"Why, what's wrong?"

I threw off the covers and said, "Plenty. But I hope to make that up to you." I psychically picked her up and put her over my shoulder.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

As I walked through the apartment, gathered Mewtwo and led him to the warptile, I replied, "You were right, this Mewtwo is much more fun than the other one." We teleported thirty floors down.

"Sabrina, stop this!" demanded Yuki.

"I'm not leaving you out this time lover." I led Mewtwo into the Pallet Room. The door closed with a thud.

"This looks familiar," remarked Mewtwo.

"It should, it was modeled after Mrs. Ketchum's house."

"Coincidence?" asked Mewtwo.

The Pallet Room was modeled after Mrs. Ketchum's house and it included a picket fence and a garden. But the house had one story and that was dominated by a big bedroom and a luxury bath. Everything was designed to survive one of Delia's monstrous orgies: all surfaces were waterproof, washable and resistant to Mr. Mime's high pressure ejaculations.

I placed Yuki on the bed.

"Why are you doing this?" asked Yuki.

I pulled off my clothes and replied, "Because right now, I need sex really bad." I removed the Pokétch bracelets and set them on the night table. "Because if I have sex behind your back, I'll feel guilty later."

"So you're going to have sex in front of me and I'll feel better?"

"No, you going to have sex with me, and probably with Mewtwo, and we're going to feel a lot better."

"I thought I was to help explain what happened," mentioned Mewtwo.

"Explain, demonstrate: the same thing. Now let's get cleaned up." I led Mewtwo to the bath.

[Recording error: out of range]

…

"Yuki, come and see this!" I called out.

"No," she replied.

"We're not doing it."

…

"Did that just wave at me?"

…

"I can't believe that you take a bath with your clothes on," I remarked.

…

"So you go alone to a tropical paradise with Mewtwo and his wonder penis, and a day later you're bored with him so you want a threesome?" accused Yuki.

I walked to the bedroom drying my hair. "No. I took Mewtwo back to Reef Island so he could learn how to fly. I'll admit there were times that he really turned me on, but I stopped myself. This morning he put the pieces together and learned to fly."

"So you rewarded him with sex?" Yuki was drying her short hair, and was securely wrapped in a second towel.

"His reward was that we would go to Pallet Town, find Professor Oak and get access to his Pokédex network."

"Uh oh," muttered Yuki.

"It gets weird before that. See, Mewtwo, the innocent, was in such a hurry to get to Pallet Town that he went from flying type Pokémon to a psychic rocket in a matter of a few minutes. But since he doesn't have technology as a background, he made an organic rocket. So what part of the male body do you assume he used?"

"You're kidding."

"We were flying faster than the speed of sound in a psychic penis. Now I'll admit as far as a man thinking with his penis, he was very clever. You know that part at the tip that flares out like a mushroom?"

"Yeah."

"He used that to cause the shockwave to hit the shaft of the penis-craft so he could push on the shockwave with ribs."

"'Ribbed for her pleasure'?"

"Exactly!"

We both laughed. Mewtwo was enjoying the hairdryer in the bathroom.

"What happened when you pointed that out?" asked Yuki.

"I couldn't, or else he'd lose control and I'd be ripped to shreds at mach two."

"That's a new spin on rough sex."

"His first attempt was to fly by balloon."

"That sounds safe."

"But to fight the wind he put on a tail and used it to propel the balloon."

"So?"

I caught a glimpse of Yuki's imagination. Her tails were Wailord tails.

I projected an image of Mewtwo's swimming tail, then his balloon tail.

"Flying sperm!" laughed Yuki.

"I didn't know better," projected Mewtwo in his defense.

"When I made the connection in my head, he saw it and we crashed into the ocean." I picked up my Pokétch and played the quote, "Bubbles and sperm! Bubbles and sperm! I love bubbles and sperm!"

We laughed again.

Yuki caught her breath and argued, "But a few innocent sex jokes isn't reason enough to just do him."

"Okay Miss Willpower, try this: lay down. Just lay down on the bed with your towel on."

Yuki did and I laid on top of her.

"We're having a nice and innocent flight at four hundred miles an hour. Mewtwo is totally into this flight and the thrill of speed. He wants to go faster and faster." I raised my own power level and projected the thrill of speed. "But he reaches a barrier for his first time. He starts thrusting himself against it." I slid my body across Yuki's in short thrusts. "Everything is shaking. Remember, if you think of sex, he'll lose control and you may die." I continued to thrust my body onto hers. I press my breasts into hers. "Don't think of sex. Don't think of sex." I coiled back and gave a big thrust forward and imagined Mewtwo's flying condom going through the sound barrier.

"But does he stop with popping the sound barrier's cherry? No. He wants to go faster and faster." I turned up my psychic energy and thrusting. "The ribs outside are pulsing furiously. He lusts for more power and speed. Give him your power! Don't think of sex! Faster and faster. Thrust! Don't think of sex! Up ahead is the coast. We're almost there. Just a little bit more. We can make it together. Don't think of sex! One more push! We made it! Yes!"

Yuki moaned.

I went limp and rolled off of Yuki.

"Then you did him?" asked Yuki.

"Duh," I panted.

"Kanto's greatest psychic and she's powerless against sex."

"You try not thinking about."

"I spend a lot of time not thinking about it."

"Then why were you mad at me? What did you think I was doing with Mewtwo?"

"Who said I was mad?"

"The Pokémon."

"The trouble with living with psychics," mumbled Yuki.

I rolled on my side and faced Yuki. "What did you think we were doing? Did you think that we were doing it in the hot springs? Were we kissing passionately on the white sand beach? Did you imagine me walking back with white sand highlights on my well tanned ass? Did you think that Prof. Orchid and her naughty friends would teach me something really kinky, like Pidgeot sex or Octillery sex?"

"Sabrina…," grumbled Yuki.

"Try not to think of sex. Did you keep your mind pure when you saw that anchor hanging from Ash Ketchum? You never imagined what Jean would do in your place? You can't picture her reaching out to tap him on the shoulder and accidently miss?" I played my finger across the seam of her towel.

"But why bring him here? Why involve me?"

"Because for the second time in my life, I found someone who I want to have sex with again. I don't feel ashamed or dirty for having sex with him. He makes me feel alive. Wanna guess who the first person was that made me feel that way? When we find his mate or a path back to his home, he'll be gone. I did him because of the moment. I want to do him again because I think the sex will be fantastic. But I want your approval."

"Is he really that wonderful?" asked Yuki.

Just then I noticed a familiar scratching sound. I looked and saw Mewtwo working in his sketchbook. Yuki looked as well. He noticed our stares, so he waved his penis in hello.

"Ash's thing can break coconuts, but can it do that? And don't tell me that you're not tempted."

"Well…"

Mewtwo's penis swished about lazily.

Yuki got off the bed and carefully touched Mewtwo's second tail. The tail pushed against Yuki's touch and snaked past her hand. Yuki was mesmerized by how fluid its movements were. She stroked it softly like a cat's tail until a little fluid came out of the tip. She pulled her hand away.

I moved and mimicked Yuki's stroking with my mouth. When I got to the end, I licked off the drop of precum.

I stroked Mewtwo a second time and grinned at Yuki. Yuki knelt on Mewtwo's other side and followed my example, but with her eyes closed. Mewtwo was still sketching. "Put the sketchbook away," I ordered.

He set the book on top of the television stand. I caught Yuki's tongue with my own and we stroked Mewtwo together.

"I think we should put him to work," I purred to Yuki. "On the bed."

It took several pillows placed just so to make Mewtwo comfortable on his back. "What am I suppose to do?" he asked.

I crawled on top of him, gave his manhood a lick and replied, "Shouldn't you return the favor?" I spread my pussy open with my hands and said, "Put one of your fingers in here." He did. "Now read my mind."

I concentrated on each of the sensations his finger induced: the fur on the back of his finger tickled, the fine pad of his paw was rough and the spherical fingertip pushed and pulled at my insides.

Yuki's mind couldn't accept that she was getting turned on by my thoughts and forced her to finger herself.

Mewtwo saw Yuki's plight and offered her his other hand.

Sheepishly she lifted her towel to give him access. He stroked her tight lips with his big fingers.

"Please put in a second finger," I pleaded and Mewtwo obliged. I broadcasted my ecstasy to Yuki who desperately wanted to feel the same. "He's too polite Yuki; you have to let him in."

She opened her towel like the curtain of a stage, spread her legs and, with both hands, opened herself to Mewtwo's magic finger. He gently pushed his finger inside. I psychically coaxed his thumb to her clit. He obliged and stimulated my clit at the same time. I rewarded him with a deep throat fellatio.

"Yuki," I thought.

She opened her eyes. When she saw me go down on Mewtwo, her eyes got wider. I pulled my head up until only my tongue held onto Mewtwo's hardened manhood and then I slowly sucked all of it into my throat.

"I'm more stimulating than you," I thought to Mewtwo. His fur stood on end in response. Yuki's short hair stood up right before she flinched from Mewtwo's touch. He gave us both a dose of a reduced power Thunderbolt to our clits. I gave up on the deep throat and focused on breathing and stimulating the tip of his penis.

"Had enough from kissing Pikachu?" he teased.

"If you're going to use an attack like that," I purred. "Then feel this." I extended my shadow hand, reached between his legs and pushed a cold finger of ghost energy into his ass. He clenched around my projection as I stimulated him from the inside.

Mewtwo and I battled each other. Each was determined to make the other cum first. Yuki came first and slumped to the bed, so Mewtwo retracted his hand and used it to lift me and my pussy closer to his amazing tongue. He kept wiggling his two fingers inside me as his tongue scraped away my dripping pleasure.

I desperately worked to win our sex contest and wore down Mewtwo and his lack of experience. Relieved, I came a second after his hot sperm hit the back of my mouth. I swallowed what he gave me and licked his manhood clean.

"Stingy," I teased.

"What?" asked Mewtwo.

"Delia's Mr. Mime produces enough sperm to cover the walls. You only gave me a half a mouthful."

"Philosophical differences," he muttered. He made himself comfortable by laying on his side. Yuki and I snuggled in and used Mewtwo's torso as a pillow.

"I can't believe that I just did it with a Pokémon," whined Yuki.

"Yeah, wasn't it great?" I replied. Mewtwo gently brought his real tail on top of Yuki and me.

"But it's wrong."

"Do you know of any Pokémon that is more intelligent, independent and self confident than Mewtwo?"

"No."

"Is he more of a mature adult than some people you have met?"

"He's more mature than you."

"Then you just had consensual sex."

"But I had sex with a Pokémon."

"No, you had great sex with a great psychic," I corrected. "Welcome to the family."

"Two great psychics," corrected Mewtwo.

Flash!

"Rotom, give me the memory card," I ordered.

"No," replied the flying camera.

"If you do, I'll buy you a new toy. If you don't, I'll smash every toy you have."

"New toy!" he cheered and coughed out the memory card.

"Leave the camera behind and I'll buy you two toys."

Rotom landed on the nightstand, exited the camera and floated up towards home.

"Do all of your Pokémon blackmail you?" asked Mewtwo.

"No, just the ghosts. Usually Rotom is better behaved, so I suspect that…"

The television came to life with a hum.

"Gengar put him up to this." There was a ghostly arm that came out of the wall and manipulated the remote control for the entertainment system. "That's enough from both of you."

"Are we being watched?" asked Mewtwo as he pointed to the television.

"That's a sketchbook that displays moving pictures and sound," explained Yuki.

"Astounding."

"So is this," remarked Yuki as she grabbed the remote and played a random video. "'Lady Swallow'; is that the movie where you learned to deep throat men?"

"'Lady Swallow' is a period sex-drama about a ninja who hides weapons in her throat." Yuki fast forwarded past the lame dialog. "Yes she also takes men into her throat as well."

"Why is she green?" asked Mewtwo.

"It must have been someone she swallowed," joked Yuki.

"That would be blue as her air was cut off," corrected Mewtwo. "I mean her face is green like a leaf."

"No it isn't," argued Yuki, "It's the same face as Sabrina's. See the cheek bones and the bangs?"

"No, Mewtwo is correct: that woman's face is green."

"'That woman' is you."

I rested my head against Yuki's temple and blocked all psychic signals.

"Why are you wearing a green mask and green clothes?"

"Select another movie," I instructed.

She selected a second movie, fast forwarded to the sex scene and saw more green costumes.

"That wasn't there this morning."

"No, it was always there," I explained.

"But you starred in all of those porn movies," remarked Yuki who was slightly confused.

"Actually, I didn't star in any movie. Sometimes I was an extra in the background, but I left the hardcore stuff to the professionals. I was the assistant producer. I stood around the set in frumpy clothes and thick glasses and reported to my boss (me), and relayed orders. The stars would do their best to get me to blush or touch myself, which helped to bring out a better performance. That green shading allows us to project key facial and body features that would identify the character as someone else. Watch…" I concentrated on Jean's long blonde hair, large breasts, warm smile…

"That's Jean," remarked Yuki.

"There is a massive computer system in this building that reads your thoughts and projects subliminal clues to the identity of the image. It can't read Mewtwo's mind so it can't influence him, thus he sees the real image."

"Why did you let me believe that you were the star of all of these movies?"

"Vanity? No. Maybe I was trying to push you away from my darker side. I didn't star in these movies, but I felt them. I gagged so many times on the set of 'Lady Swallow' at first, but I managed to control my thoughts. Mewtwo was my first real deep throat. How did I do?"

"First rate," he replied.

"Now this is the Sabrina that I know."

"You came from Hoenn because I was a psychic at the head of a high-tech sex empire?"

"Actually I didn't come in Hoenn."

I took Yuki's hand into mine and gave it a squeeze.

"It's fine. I'm fine with it."

"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked.

"My first time was with my brother," confessed Yuki. "It hurt, I didn't enjoy it and I never wanted to feel that again. I didn't want to see him again either, so we stopped travelling together."

"Is that when he became Yuki?"

"He was doing that already, but he couldn't deal with the persona and puberty. I still feel sorry for abandoning my brother like that."

"Don't feel sorry for him. What if you stayed and became his psychological crutch? He pretends to be female in public and dominates you in private as a male. How many years of that could you put up with? He had a moment of weakness and he did something wrong. You two went your separate ways and, in the end, were better for it."

Yuki grew still and quiet as she thought about the past and what could have been.

"Finally you wound up in the clutches of a mad woman who kisses a Pikachu," commented Mewtwo.

"That was to regain my lost abilities," I argued.

Mewtwo continued, "I made a successful flight and she breaks my concentration and chants, 'Fertilize my eggs!'"

"That was 'bubbles and sperm'," I corrected.

"In that gibberish language of yours, but in your head you were processing images of eggs and sperm and the fertilization process."

"You're too literal!"

"You're too sensual," he growled.

"He's got a point," added Yuki with a laugh.

"I know; I just didn't want him to win the argument," I replied with a smile.

"We're you two competing when you were having sex?"

"Perhaps," purred Mewtwo as he stroked our legs with his tail.

"Okay Sabrina, if we're having pillow talk confession, tell us about the other Mewtwo. What's he like in bed?"

"Stiff."

"You two wore me out," complained Mewtwo. "See, it retreated for safety."

I stretched my body out like a plank, "Stiff as in unemotional. Sex was an intellectual exercise like learning to snap his fingers or whistle."

"What's that?" asked Mewtwo.

"Don't bother furry lips."

"Your Mewtwo's problem is that he was grown in a laboratory as an experiment in recreating a human girl. The girl was in a sense Mewtwo's sister, but she didn't survive. Neither did his other siblings, a Squirtle, Bulbasaur and Charmander. He has many conflicting feelings about family and ambition," explained Mewtwo.

"Damn. Now I feel like dirt," I pouted.

"You didn't know. He related his origin to me so we could compare backgrounds. After I asked about that intimate moment you shared, he warned me about your behavior and power. Despite the pain that his past would cause, he buries it very deep."

"You should probably invite him to a non-orgy social function," suggested Yuki.

"What's that?" I teased.

"How about cherry blossom viewing?" offered Yuki. "We can have a barbeque, bring the Pokémon and invite Zoey and Jean. Maybe we can invite Ash and Misty so he'd feel more comfortable."

"We are going to have a big party, in public, with two Mewtwos?"

"With all the Pokémon, these guys could hide in the crowd. Maybe there are cherry trees at the Oak Laboratory and we can go there. We could also have a moon viewing party on the roof."

"It's a little too cold for a 'party' on the roof," I mentioned.

"I saw those quotes," scolded Yuki. "Party as in a real party with food, drink, a little music and friends. Not orgy."

"What would you prefer Mewtwo: party or orgy?"

"I would hope that by the next full moon, Kitten would have been found and we'd could thank you all properly."

"He's going to get moody again," I warned.

"It is a little crude to help him find his lost love and screw him in the bushes at the same time," observed Yuki.

"I thought I was being prudent," I claimed.

"You are not a prude."

"When Mewtwo here starts thinking of his lost love, he loses his focus and confidence. Not a good thing for a psychic who's learning to fly. He's even starting to worry about finding her. So I gave him an alternative."

"As your trophy husband?"

"I think that the gym could use one more teacher."

"He's supposed to be a secret."

"The Pokémon won't tell. He's great with the baby Pokémon. We could add a Pokémon nursery school. In a city this big, there has to be a market."

"If Kitten isn't here, I would feel compelled to return to my world and start my search again."

I took Mewtwo's tail in my hand and rubbed it against my chest.

"Sabrina…" sighed Yuki.

"I won't go against his wishes and I won't sabotage his ability to return," I replied.

"Good."

"But that doesn't prevent me from fucking him like crazy while he's here," I added as I rubbed his tail between my legs.

"Hunter J will prevent that if she attacks. Shouldn't you get ready?"

"What's left to do?" I asked.

"I don't know. Your grandmother is in charge."

[Send text to Grandmother Lilith:] "He can 'fly'. What's next?"

"I sent her a message; now can I play?" I didn't wait for an answer. "I know where Diglet lives," I teased in a sing-song voice as I poked my finger into Mewtwo's pouch.

"Again?" he asked.

"Where's that fabled endurance? I though you could go for days."

"Days?" asked Yuki.

"I meant working my way through dungeons."

"Maybe your little tail wants to work my dungeon," I purred as Mewtwo's 'tail' peeked out of his pouch.

"Sabrina," growled Yuki.

"If we are going to defend him and the city in the upcoming battle, then he has to be ready to go all the way and not hold back. If I'm going to defend him, then I want to be cumming and going all the way."

"There's no logic to that statement," argued Yuki.

"As a gym leader I'm disappointed in how you've been treating your Diglet. It's limp, pale and in desperate need of exercise," I huffed. "Maybe he wants to be in my caves instead." I pressed my lips against his pouch and then sucked his manhood into my mouth.

"You are such a spoiled princess," commented Yuki.

"Spoiled? I can be generous," I warned.

"Huh?"

I rolled onto my back and psychically put Yuki on top of me in a 69 position. I quickly grabbed her by the thighs and opened her legs.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to watch Mewtwo put his magnificent manhood deep inside your pussy."

"But…"

"No, not the butt. Mewtwo, would you please fuck Yuki for me?"

"Why?" cried Yuki.

"Because I can't feel you on the inside with toys. Because I want to replace your bad memory with a great one. Because I want to know if it's safe before he does me."

"What?"

"Maybe this will help her make up her mind." I produced a Mewtwo sized condom and sheathed his weapon.

"Miss Yuki, I'll only do what you ask," promised Mewtwo.

I licked Yuki's slit as her body trembled.

"No Thunderbolts?"

"I only use that on the Pikachu kisser."

"Will you be gentle?"

"As gentle as a Meowth's tail," he offered as his second tail brushed her bare bottom.

Yuki tensed as she agreed in a quiet voice, "Okay."

"How is he to put it in if you're so tense?"

"Sabrina, we're doing this for Yuki. I'll take care of this end, you do the rest," ordered Mewtwo.

"Yes chief," I replied before I licked all of Yuki's favorite places while keeping an eye on Mewtwo.

Despite the task ahead, Mewtwo made his second tail limper. He held it in both hands and asked, "Will you open her please?" I let go of Yuki's thighs and spread open her pussy, which was tighter than I had ever felt. Mewtwo moved in and psychically pulled his penis into Yuki.

"That's that throwing technique," I concluded.

"Since the Gap Prober skill involves avoiding your allies, I suppose I should call this skill, 'Penetrator'."

"That's horrible."

"Hush and do your job," he ordered.

I returned to licking.

"Sabrina is taking orders in the bedroom; I must be in heaven," joked Yuki.

"Then you should relax," he offered. "Let me massage you."

Mewtwo placed his hand on her rear to steady himself.

"Oh my god!" shrieked Yuki.

"Is it too rough?"

"Yes! No. I mean don't stop."

Mewtwo shifted forward as he pulled his entire manhood into her.

"Mewtwo, will you open your thoughts to me?" I asked.

He did! I stole glances into the minds of porn stars, but nothing could compare to what Mewtwo felt. His penis was soft, flexible, hot, wet, sticky, bent at impossible angles, pushing at her insides and caressing the entrance to her womb.

"Yuki?" he asked.

"Yes?" she panted.

"Would you like me to go faster?"

"Yes!"

Mewtwo visualized his manhood as the tail of a sperm as it wiggled about.

Yuki bite my inner thigh as she let out a muffled scream, "Faster!"

It became difficult for Mewtwo to remain flaccid. I gave him a mental image of the dough hooks on my mixer. He thrust his hips as he held his manhood in a corkscrew.

"Yes!" cried Yuki as she came. After a moment's rest she recovered enough to say, "Thank you."

"Was that too rough?"

"You were perfect," she panted.

"Thank you, but I wouldn't say it was perfect," replied Mewtwo with concern.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"I'm stuck."

"That means you're mine and Sabrina can't have you," teased Yuki.

He tried to pull away, but couldn't get his thing out of her.

"What are you doing?" demanded Yuki.

"I'm trying to retrieve my penis."

"Sabrina, this isn't funny," cried Yuki.

"I'm not doing anything."

"Stay calm," ordered Mewtwo with the force of a falling mattress. "Yuki, I'm going to move around."

"Okay."

He slowly pumped his hips back and forth. My face got wet as Yuki's love juices spilled out. Mewtwo pulled himself out and Yuki came again.

"I'm sorry if that was too rough Yuki," apologized Mewtwo, "but somehow, my penis was tied in a knot."

Yuki slid around enough to look. "What?" she asked as she was on the edge of unconsciousness.

"Sabrina?" asked Mewtwo.

"What? I didn't do that."

"You may not have knowingly done this, but I suspect that the agent that did is the same type that you removed from Pikachu."

"Your penis is possessed?" I concluded.

"Yes. Hopefully you can untie it and remove the agent."

Untying was easy since it was so slick. "How should I remove it?"

"Suck it out."

"Good idea."

"Suck as hard as you can."

I pulled off the empty condom and took the full measure of his manhood into my mouth. Mewtwo didn't hold back either and thrust himself into me as I worked him into my throat. My chance to enjoy was interrupted by his eagerness to climax. He came all too quickly.

"Drink it all," he ordered.

I gave him a mock salute as he filled my mouth with far more cum than before.

"You were holding back on me," I thought.

He didn't hold back this time as he strained to squeeze out every drop of the two mouthfuls of cum.

I took a finger and gathered the stray drops of overflow from around my mouth. "What can we do next if I drank you dry?"

He gathered our things and put Yuki over his shoulder. "You are going to cover yourself in as much as possible. Avoid contact with Pokémon and humans. I believe that Miss Yuki needs to sleep."

"That's it? One blow job and we quit?"

"You are possessed, possibly by an outside entity."

"Maybe I just want some tenderness and sex," I argued.

"Unlikely. Your behavior recently is far too erratic for a disciplined psychic of your ability. Until you are in your right mind, you are compromised."

"Can't we compromise in another way," I purred as I crawled across the bed.

"No. We need to remove you from this location and its influence on you. Now."

"We can always go back to my place," I offered as I gathered my Pokétch.

"Without teleportation, I believe that it is making things worse."

"Yes sir." I put my archery clothes over my sweaty body and marched out of the room to the service elevator.

The elevator opened to my floor. I led Mewtwo to my front door and quipped, "Shouldn't you be carrying me across the threshold?"

He said nothing.

Espeon met us at the door.

"Espeon, don't touch Sabrina," warned Mewtwo. "Keep all other Pokémon away from her."

"What's going on?" asked Espeon.

"I believe that she is possessed by a sex crazed consciousness," replied Mewtwo.

"She was already sex crazed."

"This is different. Her behavior changes depending on location and who she has contact with. Please, until this is sorted out, don't let the others come in contact with her."

"Gardevoir, please look after Yuki. Sabrina, please cover yourself more thoroughly."

"Fine." I stomped off to the bedroom closet, changed into my bodysuit, gloves, boots and a winter cap. "Is this enough?"

"I hope so. I have several questions for you."

"And I'm hungry, so let's do this in the kitchen."

We moved to the kitchen table. "First question: why did you kiss Pikachu?"

"Because I sensed that part of my consciousness was in his head."

"How did it get there? What type of contact did you have with Pikachu at the island?"

"I gave him a massage to relieve his arthritis."

"Was it just a massage?"

"I used my abilities and induced Recover to heal the damage."

"What was Pikachu's reaction?"

"He enjoyed it."

"How did he display this enjoyment?"

"He planted his face here and rubbed his cheeks against my breasts like this," I purred as I mimicked Pikachu's actions with tea cup.

"How did you react to that?"

"I…I didn't react. I continued the massage and fell asleep. I awoke when my Pokétch alerted me to a message from my father."

"Was Pikachu still asleep?"

"Yes, but he…" I blushed. "He was humping me."

"Did anyone else, human or Pokémon, penetrate you that day?"

"Yuki did," I recalled. "I was outside and she came out and told me that you were snoring. She put sunscreen on me and got frisky. She licked me till I came and then we were interrupted by Agent Looker. That's when you ran outside and met Pikachu and Ash."

Mewtwo wrote all this down in his notebook. "I believe that you are either a carrier for this possessive force or the originator. I believe that when you raised your voice at Alakazam, that she was under the influence. When you were restrained and Alakazam returned home, that influence was in you again. Your behavior may be erratic, but I doubt that you'd call for amputation due to pain.

"We brought Yuki and the others here and had the meeting. We then returned to the island to teach me to fly. You did act strangely at several points. Could you explain?"

"You'd say things that were suggestive," I explained.

"Suggestive of what?"

"Of sex of course. Your bubbles, sperm, eggs, and penetrating the sound barrier: all of that suggested sex."

"The bubble was your idea. I never looked at my ejaculate closely enough to know what it contains. Our conversations are partially at an empathic level so words and meaning are added by your own mind. With regard to our conversations, why did you correct yourself repeatedly and lie?"

"I didn't lie."

"The image in your mind that you claimed was for a banana was actually the standard position for an erect penis, is it not?"

"Yes. I developed strong feelings for you."

Mewtwo concentrated as he ran through his memories of last night. "Some of your mental images and responses were more forceful than others. Perhaps something else has used those feelings to gain strength," he warned.

"Does that mean that everything we shared was just the whim of another being?"

He gave me a warm little smile, "I doubt that anything could control you. But push you in the direction that you want to go, that shouldn't be so hard."

"What about your feelings?"

"I feel that you are as remarkable as all of your friends believe you to be, and that I'd like to get to know the real you better."

"Without the sex crazed spirit that could be controlling me?" I asked.

"I wouldn't say that it wasn't fun, but it can be a bit uncomfortable." He mentally imaged the knot.

"Ouch. Did it hurt?"

"A little. But what concerns me is how shall we deal with this spirit?"

"That is something that I can deal with using these bracelets. They record my thoughts, so I'll replay some memories from before I found you. I'll then meditate on what is different and hopefully that will be the culprit."

"Will you forget what has happened back to that point?"

"I shouldn't, but just in case, can we replay our three-way party to remind me?"

"Only if the real Sabrina wants it," he replied.

"I'll hold you to that," I remarked as I ran to the closet to get my ski suit. I bundled up and went outside to the garden.

I replayed my memories of the snowy Sinnoh region and learning to fly with Granny Noctowl. I had run away from Mewtwo, but in truth I was running away from myself. The power that I felt was clawing at my human nature.

What was different? Pokérus was running my body, by taking away the pain and exhaustion. My emotions were my own; especially the tinge of fear and panic as I was far from food and shelter.

What was the same? Granny was guiding me in flight training, so some of my psychic control was shared. As this time, I was attracted to Mewtwo's strong psychic and physical presence.

I went back further to that night with Mewtwo; one simple, wonderful night on a futon in the back of a shed. For that moment we were exposed, tender, needing and fulfilling. Our built up personas didn't get in the way. There wasn't much lust, but was there love? It may take a long time learn that from him. My power was at its peak, so bits of my personality couldn't have wandered off to play. I was whole.

So I was whole as well in Sinnoh; whole, but afraid and frustrated.

In our battle with Hunter J, did I have the same power that I displayed with Pokérus? No, because the Pokérus has passed and I didn't feel the euphoria and recklessness. Compared to what I did to the gym, I would have readily attacked Team Rocket directly. I let my Substitute out to play. She distracted Team Rocket at the surface and blindsided Hunter J.

How did she blindside Hunter J? My Substitute is mostly psychic energy. The only way that Hunter J couldn't hear her, is if Hunter J was shielded from psychic energy. She attacked with a Drapion and Spiritomb, did they provide her with Dark type protection? No, when she was knocked out and taken away from her Pokémon, she still had the shielding. So Hunter J is now a dark type that can cross dimensions.

Dark type Pokémon: many have come to the gym and lost, but the three that concern me are Sableye, Spiritomb and Darkrai. Those three could cross the dimensions; the first two by their ghost nature and the third by power alone.

I played the Pokédex entries for those three. I am familiar with many of their attacks, but Darkrai's Bad Dreams ability sparked my interest. In fact I had a bad dream last night, yet with my training I shouldn't.

Pikachu didn't have a Bad Dream, but he did have a naughty wet dream. Bad Dreams drain health and sex is exhausting, so perhaps this isn't a true, or rather, a complete Darkrai. It tapped into my dreams and wants, and got to Pikachu when he was asleep. Yuki wouldn't need provoking to have sex on a tropical island, and she was awake. But she did say that she couldn't nap because of Mewtwo's snoring.

Did I take in that dark presence when I kissed Pikachu and Yuki? I felt like a part of me was in there, but it could have also been part of it. No, that isn't it. Pikachu had the lustful bit. Yuki was holding the larger part of my presence. That part of me must have hid there during the poison session. My self-preservation and will power must have taken refuge in Yuki's concern.

If I have a piece of Darkrai in me, how can I detect it? I couldn't sense the Drapion stingers. I best ask for help.

"Mewtwo, I think I found the problem."

Mewtwo came out to the garden while eating chocolate ice cream from the carton.

"I think that I've been possessed by a Darkrai, or a piece of a Darkrai."

"Removing it could be difficult."

"Do you have an idea on how to remove it?"

He put the ice cream down and readied an Aura Sphere. "This may hurt."

"You are kidding me."

"Brace yourself," he warned.

Instinctively I put up my shields. His Aura Sphere crashed against them and popped.

"It's not going to work if you avoid them," he pointed out.

"You were going to hit me with that!"

"Yes, but it wasn't at full power. Besides, you're a psychic type, you should be resistant. Now hold still and don't put up your shields."

"What's going on?" asked Gengar.

"Sabrina is possessed by a Darkrai and I'm trying to knock it loose," replied Mewtwo.

"Can I watch?"

"Gengar, you evil…" Wham! I was knocked backwards onto the moss garden.

"I think we're making progress," commented Mewtwo.

"Have you done this before?" asked Gengar.

"No."

"I'm not putting up with this!" I declared but my shields failed and I was hit again.

"Thank you. That was Disable, wasn't it?" asked Mewtwo.

"Yeah, I had to teach it to myself. I find it useful when training trees," remarked Gengar.

Wham!

"How do you train a tree?"

I ran for the door, but Gengar got me with his Mean Look. Wham!

The pair moved to the closest tree between me and the patio door. "Training means to control the growth of the tree. I move a branch into position, use Mean Look to hold it there and Disable to prevent the tree from healing."

"That seems cruel."

Wham!

"Cruel is what you bastards…," Wham! "… are doing to me!" I raged.

"Does she curse often?" asked Mewtwo.

"She used to curse me a lot, but she controls her language around the babies."

"That's promising. Could you get her legs?"

Gengar moved like a shadow, grabbed my feet and tripped me into the moss. Mewtwo formed the largest Aura Sphere I had ever seen.

"W… w…what…?" I stammered.

"What am I going to do with this?" asked Mewtwo. "I'm going to crush you."

He dropped the Aura Sphere onto my feet and rolled it towards my head. I felt like my organs were going to burst out my mouth like toothpaste. "I hate you! I'm going to survive this and make your lives hell! I'm…" My breath was stolen as the Aura Sphere pressed down on my chest. I summoned every ounce of power I had to strike back. I glared at Mewtwo and envisioned his throat being crushed in my jaws. I snapped at him and he smiled.

He smiled and slapped my face with a small Aura Sphere.

…

"Sabrina? Are you okay? Wake up Sabrina."

I opened my eyes and saw Mewtwo looming over me. I tried to claw at his face but I was held back. "Did you have a bad dream?"

"A what?"

"Did you have a bad dream just now?" asked Mewtwo.

I was in the moss garden. "I dreamt that you and Gengar were beating me up," I recalled.

"That part was real, but did you have a bad dream after I slapped you?"

"No, I blacked out."

"That's a good sign," he sighed.

"Wait a moment; you two really did attack me in my own garden?"

"I attacked the Darkrai that was inside you. I had to force you to channel all of your negative thoughts into one point, which turned out to be your mouth. Once the negative energy was concentrated, I knocked it away with an Aura Sphere."

"I still feel rather negative," I fumed. "That was probably the worst exorcism…" He cut me off by kissing me. I broke the kiss and demanded, "What are you doing?"

"I'm testing a theory: if you were still possessed by dark thoughts, you would have either bitten me or kept kissing. Because you broke the kiss, I will assume that you are being rational."

"Despite your bedside manner, I still think that you're a lousy exorcist," I grumped.

"Wait till you get my bill," he replied as he offered me a hand up.

[Disengage damper field: okay]

I used a shadow leg and arm to trip Mewtwo and throw him to the moss. I rolled on top of him and asked, "Shall we discuss payment now?"

"If you get too lusty, I'll have to treat you again," he warned.

"Why don't you just treat the part that you slapped so hard?"

"?"

"Kiss it to make it better," I offered.

"Is that an empathic healing technique?"

"Oh yes, very common in this world."

He gave me a short, fuzzy kiss on my stinging lips. "Did that help?"

"A little bit."

He tried again and held his lips against mine a little longer.

"You realize that if this is an empathic healing technique, then you have to actually want me to heal?" I asked.

"Yes. Perhaps it is the kissing part that I need to practice."

I gave him a long, passionate kiss where I ventured out with my tongue and sought a connection with him. His tongue met mine. I invited him past my lips for a slow dance. Next we went to his place and did the same.

"Why don't you two get a room and come in out of the cold?" demanded Yuki.

"Is it safe for me to go indoors?" I asked.

Mewtwo nodded, so we got up and followed Yuki inside. There we explained what had happened.

"But why Darkrai?" asked Yuki at the end.

I shrugged. "I've battled a few Spiritomb and this didn't feel like one, so I assumed it was a Darkrai."

"But a Spiritomb isn't a one, it's a collection of a hundred spirits," argued Yuki.

"If that was the case, then I doubt Aura Sphere would have had an effect," concluded Mewtwo.

I placed a phone call. "Stanley, can you make me a Darkrai detector?"

"Yes sensei."

"I just need a device that can detect the faint presence of a Darkrai."

"Oh," he replied dejectedly. "Your Pokédex application can do that."

"Did you get the warptile installed?"

"Yes sensei."

"Then if you have some free time, I may need a Darkrai detector that can cover a whole building, a filter and capture system for the waprtiles and modifications to the shielding system to block dark types."

"Yes sensei!" cheered Stanley as he hung up.

I called up the Pokédex search application for Darkrai, and found nothing. "It says there isn't a Darkrai nearby." I changed the settings for Spiritomb and Sableye and still found nothing. I looked to the others and shrugged.

"It could be a matter of sensitivity," speculated Yuki. "We're talking about enough Darkrai to convince you to pull off your clothes and have sex with Mewtwo. That takes about how much influence?"

"Ha, ha," I replied. I phoned Stanley, "How do I boost the sensitivity of the Pokédex?"

"With an external parabolic antenna. Open the access panel and connect it to the coaxial antenna input."

"A what and where?" I asked in bewilderment. "Are you in your office?"

"I can be there in a minute," he offered.

"Good, then I'll meet you there." I hung up and said to the others, "I'm going downstairs to get a bucolic antenna, whatever that is."

"Parabolic?" asked Yuki.

"Parabolic, alcoholic, whatever. If you fool around, don't wear yourselves out, because I want to play too."

I took the elevator downstairs to the secure level that housed Stanley's workshop/warehouse. The level needs security to keep others out and his inventions, and possible explosions, in. "How about this," he offered.

"What?"

"This," he said again while waving at a microwave repeater.

I pointed to the said repeater.

He nodded his head.

"If I can't get it in the elevator and through a standard sized door, then it's too big," I explained.

Stanley disappeared into his maze of shelved parts. Spinda teetered out with a smaller satellite television dish on his head. "How about this? Stanley?"

Stanley emerged from a different part of his maze and said, "Good work Spinda. Now I need some wire." He pulled several strands of wire out of his lab coat pockets, selected one and wrapped it around his neck. With both hands he took one of my bracelets and twisted it open like a jar to expose various input ports. A moment later he was finished.

"So I just point the antenna where I want to detect things?"

He nodded with a big smile.

"Good job!"

"Thank you sensei."

When I left Stanley's lab, the door closed with a secure thud. When I returned to my apartment, Yuki and Mewtwo were playing baba-nuki. Yuki saw my antenna and joked, "When there's something wrong in the neighborhood, who you gonna call?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about," I replied.

Yuki looked to Mewtwo, who was still looking at his cards and ignoring her voice. "Never mind."

"Let's see if this works." I started the detection program. "I have a trace of a Darkrai," I announced.

"Where?" asked Yuki.

I changed the direction of the antenna but the reading didn't change. I slowly turned around yet the reading didn't change. "I don't think this is working. I'm getting the same reading everywhere. It even says that you and Mewtwo are Darkrai."

"Maybe we are in disguise," quipped Yuki.

"That would be a Zoroark," I replied as I wandered about the apartment in hopes of a change in readings.

My Pokétch buzzed with an incoming text from grandma, "Are you done fooling around?"

I called her and asked, "What do you mean by 'fooling around'?"

"Why did you text that he could 'fly'?"

"Because I was possessed by a Darkrai," I replied.

"Is that a joke?"

"No, but it was a partial possession. I was a little less tactful and little more forceful."

"Well if you're over that then you should recruit some assistance in the air, otherwise you'll be an easy target."

"Mewtwo was ahead of you on that. During the Pokérus session, I encountered a flock of Pidgey and took them to the woods to train. I talked to them earlier and hopefully they'll join."

"Were you diplomatic?"

"Yes, and the matriarch will give me an answer tomorrow. Finally, I got a zero reading."

"What are you doing?"

"I'll have to call you back," I replied and hung up. I was out in the garden and pointing the antenna to the sky. I levitated away from the building and scanned about with the antenna. I flew back to the others in a hurry. "This whole building is possessed by Darkrai!"


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Lemon Warning: If you don't know what a lemon is or you know you're not supposed to read it, then don't.

What Stanley and the Cat Dragged In

"Stanley!" I shrieked as I burst into his workshop, and then mentally cursed myself for shrieking.

"Yes?"

"The Pokédex says that the whole building is possessed by Darkrai! Fix it!"

Stanley ran over with a cable that wasn't long enough to reach my Pokétch. I moved closer so he could patch it into his computer. He typed away at his computer and announced, "It's not broken sensei."

"I mean fix the building."

He paused and blinked. "But you designed the building to be an artificial Darkrai."

"I what?"

"You designed this building with shielding that blocks, reflects and scrambles psychic transmissions. Doesn't that make it an artificial dark type?"

"Could the reading on this Pokédex be a false positive?"

He shrugged. "Find an example of your shielding that isn't in this building and test it," he offered.

I took the elevator to the top and stomped into my apartment. Mewtwo and Yuki were playing baba-nuki.

Yuki reminded me, "Did you ask about the settings and sensitivity?"

I stormed back to the elevator and down to Stanley's workshop.

"I don't understand what the settings and readings mean," I admitted.

"Should I write you a user's manual?" he asked with all sincerity.

"That would take too long. Why is there a 'direction' on the readout if I'm using an antenna that I direct?"

"Oops, I forgot to program that." He went to his computer for the connecting cable that was still too short to reach me by the door. I ventured deeper into his warren. "I'll reprogram that," he offered but his fingers froze over the keyboard. "What should I program it to do?"

"It's telling me that Darkrai is present, but I don't know how much."

"There's more than one?"

"Less than one," I corrected. "Our present theory is that parts of a Darkrai's presence have possessed the building, people and Pokémon. I need to know how much of a Darkrai is present."

"That's easy. I'll just add a range finder program for the antenna, a scanning mode for large objects, a 'scan object' command, a 'calibrate' command so you can compare to one standard Darkrai and…" Spinda walked out of the maze with a hand held piece of scientific equipment. Stanley took the device and noisily twisted the center dial. "…program the intensity scale to be adjusted by factors of ten, (tenths actually)."

While Stanley typed away, I looked about the room, but never letting the door to freedom get out of my sight.

"Finished!" he declared. His monitor displayed a copy of the interface. "First you need to calibrate the system; point the antenna at Darkrai, you should be from five to twenty meters away for the best reading, and push 'calibrate'."

"I don't have a whole Darkrai as an example."

"…Then I can't calibrate it."

"Isn't there some standard unit of Darkrai that you can program into it?"

"If I knew that then there wouldn't need to be a calibrate option."

"If I found something that was possessed by Darkrai, could I use that to calibrate and compare other objects to it?"

"But it wouldn't be accurate," he argued.

"But I could compare which building or room was more possessed than others?"

"Yes…"

"Good enough."

Good enough for me wasn't always good enough for Stanley. He was about to pout.

"I only need to establish where the hot spots are. This frees up your time so you can create a device to extract the Darkrai presence."

"That's right!" he cheered. He leapt out of his chair and scurried to his shelves of parts.

As I reached the door, he mumbled a question.

"What?" I called back.

"If I extract Darkrai, where should I put him?"

"In a Pokéball."

"Oh yeah," he replied as he brought his fist down on his palm.

I returned to the apartment and found that Alakazam, Gardevoir and Espeon had joined the card game. I swept the antenna across the living room and found the television to have the highest Darkrai reading, so I calibrated the Pokédex with the television.

Yuki called out, "I don't think satellite TV is supposed to work that way." The Pokémon had a little laugh, but I was too busy scanning the rooms. The bedroom registered twenty television units of Darkrai, the kitchen rated three tenths.

"It's everywhere!" There was a hot spot on the floor that became a trail from the bedroom to the warptile. With the door closed, the meter read ninety. I opened the door and the reading was, "Three Hundred!" I ran back to the card players and repeated, "Three Hundred!"

"Three hundred what?" asked Mewtwo calmly.

"The warptile has three hundred times of a Darkrai reading as the television."

"That means that the television is safer than the warptile, but it doesn't mean that the warptile is unsafe," observed Yuki. "How does it compare to a real Darkrai?"

"I don't have a real one to test," I pointed out.

"So you panicked because an arbitrary number is bigger than another number? Oh, no, Espeon took my five," mocked Mewtwo.

"I wish she'd be half as concerned about wiping her feet," complained Gardevoir.

"Can your Rotom possess that same device?" asked Mewtwo.

"Yes," added Yuki. "Then you can compare a Rotom possessed television to a Darkrai possessed television. If the warptile registers as three hundred Rotoms, I'll help you panic."

I collected Rotom into his Pokéball and took the elevator back down to Stanley. [Note to self: If this is my personal elevator, I should furnish it so it doesn't feel, and smell, like a freight elevator.]

I went to Stanley and explained Yuki's idea.

"That would give a reading," he admitted.

"Do you have something for Rotom to possess that isn't too delicate?"

"How about this?" offered Spinda as it pointed to the mini fridge.

"Let's push it out into the hall first. I don't want Rotom loose in here, he may break something."

Stanley agreed.

I let Rotom out of his ball and he asked, "Is this my new toy?"

"No sweetie, this is just a test of my Pokédex. I want to find you a better toy."

"Okay!"

Stanley had a laptop plugged into my Pokétch, worked away and asked, "Would you have Rotom possess something larger and smaller, please? That way I can make a better measurement of Pokémon possession density."

"I've got some special ball capsules with some of his toys. I'll go get them. But don't let him into your workshop. You got that Rotom? You stay here."

"Yup!"

I untangled my right arm from my Pokétch and the wires that were attached to it. Fortunately my left bracelet was enough to unlock the elevator and the apartment. While I searched for the capsule case, Mewtwo asked the others in a loud voice, "If she's calm, then should we worry?"

I projected back, "The answer is 'yes'."

I found the case and returned downstairs to find the hallway empty. I took a deep breath and exhaled. I entered Stanley's workshop and projected, "Rotom, I told you to stay in the hall."

"He said it was okay," replied Rotom as he flew by in what looked like a wok crossed with a disco ball. "These are great toys!" cheered Rotom.

"Try this! Try this!" offered Spinda as he pointed to a modified vending machine.

"Stanley, I warned you."

"Warned me about what?" asked Stanley as he had his mind focused on his computer screen. "Oh! Hello Sabrina-sensei. I've upgraded your Pokédex to detect Pokémon possessions in terms of a Rotom unit. That's when Rotom possessed the mini fridge and we scanned it from one meter away. The antenna will check the range and compensate so you'll be able to tell how much of a Pokémon's presence is in an object. Did you know that after Rotom leaves an object, that there is still a residual of one to five percent possession with a half-life from 516 to 728 minutes?"

"No. What does that mean?"

"It means that some objects are more prone to hold evidence of Rotom's possession. I'm checking the internet for literature on the subject, but I can't find any. I'm surprised that no one has bothered to study this. Could you leave Rotom with me for a while? This is just fascinating."

"Please can I stay?" asked Rotom as he walked by on three legs made of wires.

"Since Stanley wants it, okay. But don't break anything. Do as you are told. Stanley, if Rotom causes trouble, return him to his Pokéball. Spinda, keep them both out of trouble." I collected my upgraded Pokétch and antenna. On the ride up to my apartment, I had pangs of dread for what I would find at home and what I would find when I returned to Stanley's workshop.

No one made a joke when I entered the living room and scanned the television. "The television contains… three hundredths of a Rotom unit of possession."

"I suppose three percent isn't bad," offered Yuki.

"Wait, I had it set to scan for Rotom. Switching to Darkrai… and the television contains six (scientific notation, negative powers mean small, so…) ten thousandths of a Rotom unit."

I dashed through the house to the warptile and announced, "Two percent of a Rotom unit!" I returned to the living room, and collapsed onto the couch. "That's a relief. I thought this was going to be worse than the bedbug outbreak from two years ago."

"That was this place?" asked Yuki.

"This was the epicenter. Eventually we tracked the bedbugs to some tourists from Unova. Still, we had to fumigate the whole building."

"If the crisis is passed, can we prepare for our battle with Hunter J?" asked Mewtwo.

"It's going to be dark soon, should we go to bed?"

"With this lighting, we can stay up late and plan," commented Mewtwo.

"By 'go to bed' she means that we go to the bedroom and continue doing what we did in that other bedroom," explained Yuki.

"That wouldn't be a productive use of our time," he observed, "Unless you want to be exorcised again."

"No," I shivered.

"Imagine if they were productive," speculated Espeon to Gardevoir.

"I shudder to think," replied Gardevoir.

"Are you saying that I would make a bad parent? If so, why?"

"You're reckless, messy and sex crazed," listed Espeon.

"So is Gengar, but he's doing okay," I replied.

"He's not the best standard of responsibility," admitted Gardevoir.

"Don't I get a say in this matter?" asked Mewtwo.

"You'd be a great father," concluded Gardevoir.

"Without a doubt," added Espeon. "You're responsible and calm during a crisis."

"I had to make sure this place was safe," I replied in my defense.

"From another Pokémon? Really, your bias against dark types can go too far," admonished my Alakazam.

"I'm sure that Sabrina has many qualities that would make her a fine parent. Her concern for your safety is just one of them," commented Mewtwo diplomatically.

The others exchanged conspiratorial glances.

"Before this conversation gets any worse, let's have a strategy session." I checked my emails and found a basic schematic of Hunter J's carrier and displayed it on the big screen. "Because of the disappearance of Hunter J's original carrier, and the destruction of the second, we don't have an accurate blueprint. What we do know is its approximate size, shape, construction and capabilities. These parts are detachable storage units. She has in the past dropped one from a great height when her 'hunt' fought back. Fortunately Ash and the Pokémon managed to escape. This means that these regions can be attacked, and it shouldn't cause catastrophic failure of her capabilities."

"So we should avoid attacking them," concluded Mewtwo.

"If Hunter J takes hostages, then most likely they would be held here. If we need to bring down the carrier in the city, then we need to remove as much as possible without damaging the city."

"Lighten the load, rescue hostages and reduce her capabilities: all are good reasons to remove these sections," agreed Mewtwo.

"Could your special throwing skill be used to cut out this section?"

"I would need a projectile of similar, or superior, material. It would need to be flat like those cards, large enough to throw, yet not unwieldy."

"They don't throw very well," commented Yuki from the table.

We turned and saw her throw a card. It flew towards the television but spun off course and landed on the coffee table.

I handed Mewtwo the card and then levitated an apple from the bowl of fruit. Mewtwo threw the card and sliced the apple in half.

"If Mewtwo needs a job in our world, his knife skills would bring in the crowds at restaurants."

"What is a knife?" asked Mewtwo.

"Funny, that's what I'd expect Sabrina to ask," joked Yuki as she beckoned Mewtwo into the kitchen. Yuki took a knife from the block. "This side is very sharp."

"Please demonstrate."

Yuki took a lotus root from the fridge and carefully sliced. Mewtwo watched her every movement and observed, "You let the weight of the knife do the work. May I?"

Yuki handed him the knife. He turned the lotus root on end and pushed the knife into it, then rotated everything into the proper plane and compared the cutting resistance. He picked up the knife and let it fall blade first onto the root. "I think we have a new option: If I can be above the carrier then I can drop a heavier projectile than if I just threw one."

"How heavy?" I asked.

"More than this," he replied. "Since you were providing assistance while we were flying together, I'd speculate that a knife of less than half of your weight would be manageable."

"I'll bring that idea to Stanley, if he still has a workshop."

Mewtwo added notes to his notebook. "So, the carrier can fly, hold many humans and Pokémon and be invisible. Some parts can be detached and it can interfere with teleportation. Is there an estimate of its speed?" he asked.

"No," I replied.

"So I would say that defeating its invisibility and speed should take a priority over cutting it into pieces. Doubtlessly the dropped sections would allow it to go faster. I think I need to visit your quartermaster."

"Stanley?"

"I doubt that I'll be able to steal any trade secrets," he quipped.

"…Uh. No, that's not a problem." I sighed and beckoned for Mewtwo to follow.

On the ride down in the elevator, Mewtwo asked, "Why are you nervous?"

"Stanley is brilliant, but there is a price: pain, discomfort and explosions."

"So he's an exorcist?"

I looked at Mewtwo and there was a faint twinkle in his eye. I laughed.

"Now that you're breathing again, we should be ready to face Stanley," chuckled Mewtwo.

I was expecting to see a debris field that stretched from the elevator to Stanley's desk, but instead everything was in order with the exception of Spinda dancing about with a random invention.

"Can't I play longer?" asked the collection of lights and gears.

"We came down so Mewtwo could find weapons for the upcoming battle," I explained.

"Weapons?" asked Spinda.

"We need tools to deal with the flying carrier," explained Mewtwo. "Specifically we need to slow it and render its invisibility void."

"What carrier?" asked Spinda, who was aware as Stanley.

Mewtwo took out his notebook and made sketches. I sat on a box by the door and waited. Soon, the trio of Pokémon disappeared into the maze of part shelves. A few minutes later the group emerged with Stanley. Stanley had his own sketchbook and was trading ideas with Mewtwo. I mentally listened in and found all their thoughts to be in terms of pictures. I stayed by the door and waited.

"Sabrina?" asked Mewtwo and he gently shook me.

I opened my eyes.

"We may be awhile; perhaps you should go get some rest."

"Don't you need me to interpret?"

"There are two Pokémon here and a human that thinks visually; everything is under control. I believe that he can contact you if needed. Yes?"

I nodded in agreement and slumped off to the elevator, the apartment and bed.

"Where's Mewtwo?" asked Yuki.

"In Stanley's lab with Rotom," I mumbled through my pillow.

"You're okay with that?"

"Everyone said that he's calm and responsible," I replied.

Yuki slipped under the covers and cuddled up. "Where's all that energy you had earlier?"

"I had it squeezed out and thrown across town. Wake me if there are any alarms or explosions."

I must have been sound asleep, because Yuki woke me and asked, "Sabrina, what's that?"

I listened and mumbled, "Someone is pounding on the front door."

"Who would do that?"

I reached out with my senses and found only Mewtwo's mind. "Is anyone with you?" I mentally asked.

"No," he replied.

I opened the door. A moment later there was a collection of clanks and rattles as thing were dropped on the floor.

"I better go see what the cat dragged in," I announced. I got up, grabbed the fuzzy bathrobe and wandered off to the living room. When I got there, Mewtwo brought a second armload of equipment into the living room.

"I have to go back down for another load," he mentioned as he left.

I faded in and out of sleep and recalled a nightmare of Stanley's workshop chasing me down.

There was a knock on the door. I opened it and Mewtwo had another load of equipment.

"Did you pee on my front door?" I asked.

"Excuse me?"

I sniffed again and projected the smell to Mewtwo.

"Sorry, that was this beverage that Spinda gave me," he replied as he walked in. His tail was pointing at a bottle in the hall. "I spilled some when I opened it."

"Spinda gave you a beer?"

"Was that wrong?"

"Unexpected," I corrected. "What is all this stuff?"

"Weapons and g-suits for the upcoming battle."

My mind stumbled through images of g-string bikinis and lingerie.

Mewtwo held up a bulky, green bodysuit and explained, "It should keep you warm and it compensates for the stresses of acceleration."

"Stanley designed these?"

"He modified the suits from something he had and manufactured the weapons. Spinda and I helped with the designs." Mewtwo picked up a long cylinder and mentally explained how it worked.

"A harpoon with parachute, that's clever."

"We thought so. We'll use these on the storage compartments. It will slow the carrier and disrupt its motion. If the storage compartment is dropped, it slows its decent. Go to bed."

"Huh?"

Mewtwo picked me up and carried me to the bedroom. After tucking me into bed he said, "Dream of a strategy."

Strategy requires knowing what the opponent could do, or where they'll be. If Hunter J is involved the then most likely goal is money. If Giovanni is involved, then the most likely goal is to capture Mewtwo. The target could be anyone or anything. How far are those two willing to go? Kidnapping? Hostage taking? Am I a target? Are my parents, students or friends? I wouldn't be able to sleep if I kept up this line of thinking.

But this has all happened before. Samantha faced a siege that attacked randomly and used an unknown technology. She must have broke the siege, but how?

"I've called this council for your opinions," announced Samantha to her war council.

General Koichi spoke next, "We should disrupt their supply chain. We must defeat their transportation system at either the port of Vermillion City, or the long line of coulees and carts bringing in supplies."

Samantha's guard Geller stated, "The ships are harder to replace than coulees."

Jenny, commander of emergency services, added, "The ships are valuable to Olivine City. If the ships are damaged then Olivine City suffers. If the port of Vermillion City is damaged, then that city suffers. I say burn the ships."

"The battle is being fought by mercenaries, conscripts and Pokémon. Their leaders will only suffer if the source of their wealth is destroyed," concluded Samantha. "I want you to discretely assemble fire arrows and oil. Amanda, select for me your fast and stealthy Ghost Pokémon that can help me burn the enemy fleet. I'll leave an hour before dusk."

"You will be leading the attack?" asked Geller.

"I have to: This raiding party must be small and fast. Thank you for your assistance."

Samantha's raiding party was quickly, and quietly, assembled. It consisted of her, Latias and five Gengars. Samantha wore black clothes, but no armor. Each Gengar knew either Fire Punch, or Will o' wisp. The group of psychics and ghosts used their respective version of invisibility, left toward the setting sun and approached the Vermillion City port from the glare of the sunset.

The fleet that was docked was vast and Samantha couldn't tell which ship belonged to the invaders, and which ships were part of the domestic fishing and trade fleet. Samantha opened her mind to the thoughts below. The thoughts she sensed involved sailing, moving goods, fishing and markets; there was little to distinguish the invaders from the others.

"The oncoming darkness will make hiding my fire difficult," thought Samantha.

Latias noticed how easy it was to see some of the lanterns from the ships below.

"Some ships do not have fires lit, yet I sense they have active people onboard. Perhaps those new fire weapons are also vulnerable to fire," mused Samantha. She visualized her line of attack as she mentally explained to the Pokémon, "We'll attack from the setting sun and in this direction. Throw a flask of oil at those lanterns, but keep one in reserve. Understand?"

The Gengars nodded.

"Once you've lightened your load, attack the mast of another ship, but attack high so they can't easily put it out."

Samantha held a fire arrow with her bow in one hand and held a second in her other hand. A Gengar lit her arrows and the group dove at the ships from the setting sun.

Watchmen from various ships raised the alarm before Samantha's raiders hit their first ship. The strafing run was fast enough for various fires to start before a counter attack could be mustered.

As Latias led the raiders on a wide, climbing turn, Samantha tried to read individual thoughts. The closest thoughts were from Magneton and Magnemite defenders chasing them. She pushed past those thoughts to individual humans below and found a human who was very nervous about fire and had many vivid and explosive ideas on what fire could do to his cargo.

"I've found our next target," declared Samantha. "Latias will strike with Mist Ball and I'll mark it with my fire arrows. Use your oil to spread the flames."

The second pass of the raiders focused on a ship docked as far as possible from the other ships in the crowded port. Latias' attack splintered the top deck of the ship and Samantha's fire arrows found purchase in the dry tinder. When the oil hit, the only thoughts from the humans were to flee.

Samantha kept her raiders moving away from the port. A small explosion from the ship tossed embers high into the air. Samantha made a wicked grin and turned the party north. "Let's find someone else who's afraid of fire."

"What's so funny?"

"What?" I mumbled.

Yuki asked again, "What's so funny?"

"I was dreaming of how Samantha broke the Gambler's Siege: she attacked the supply ships docked in Vermillion City. Ships full of gun powder tend to burn."

"How does that help?"

"We can't predict where Hunter J will strike, so we have to strike first." I sent an email calling for a meeting in two hours with the Police Commissioner and my grandmother. I rushed though the apartment to get ready.

Mewtwo met me in the kitchen with the bulky suit and helmet.

"You want me to wear it?" I asked.

"I believe that it works better that way," he replied.

I took the suit back to the bedroom and changed. My name was sewn on and the gym's crest was displayed on the arm.

"You look like you're going to war," commented Yuki.

"I think I am."

Our war council was at the police station in less than an hour.

"You have a plan?" asked my grandmother.

"The only plan possible is to attack now and draw the enemy to a battlefield of our choosing," I replied.

"That's a little too obvious," declared Commissioner Hanzo.

I shook my head. "I mean to attack Team Rocket here at the assembly area and draw Hunter J here to the park; essentially dividing their forces. Also, I think I know Giovanni enough. If he has to decide between a chance to capture Mewtwo or saving his empire, then he'll move to protect his empire.

"But this isn't the feudal era and I shouldn't just bomb his facilities. What we need is a raid that is more damaging than a fire: We need a police raid. Jump in and seize evidence, this would make Giovanni nervous about the whole venture."

"He would turn his forces around to destroy evidence and avoid a massive crime in progress with Hunter J," concluded Hanzo. "That represents years of police work that could be shot to hell in one afternoon."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because there will be dozens of task forces that have been formed to collect evidence against Team Rocket. But if the chain of evidence that connects Giovanni to a crime is broken, then the legal case is broken too."

"Capturing Mewtwo is one of Giovanni's highest, and most personal, goals. If there is one situation where the most evidence exists of Giovanni's personal involvement with Team Rocket, it will be right there. That is, until Hunter J moves," I argued.

"We need a reason to raid," concluded my grandmother with the confident voice a Daimyo.

Hanzo looked conflicted.

"And then," added the Daimyo, "we can force other police departments to aid us lest they lose their hard work. Your problem is politics: each police department wants to protect their own interests. If you make it clear, as it is happening, what is at stake, they will rush in."

"As it is happening?" questioned Hanzo.

"Have your special officers found any Team Rocket members in the city?"

"We have suspects that we are observing," replied Hanzo.

"Then we will scare one or two so they run back to their camp. Your police force will follow and I doubt other departments will argue about the rules of a hot pursuit. Send a large enough force that Team Rocket can't ignore. Hunter J would then see that Saffron City has sent out a large portion of its defenses and attack."

"Tainted evidence is almost as bad as no evidence," argued Hanzo.

"Your department wasn't going to arrest anyone, except the fleeing member of Team Rocket in a rather overzealous chase. The Celadon, Cerulean, Pewter City and Kanto Regional Police should have outstanding warrants to collect evidence, and a crime in progress would just be the excuse they need to 'help'."

"Could you steer the target to cross into Celadon's jurisdiction?" asked Hanzo.

"I could steer them into every jurisdiction of Kanto," I replied.

"Too obvious," replied Hanzo flatly. "Celadon has more officers involved at investigating Team Rocket than Cerulean and the most to lose if the raid goes badly. I'd say that the pursuit team would easily double before it entered the Viridian Forest. My other problems are that you'll be heading toward a trap and Saffron City will have less police."

"Would you rather have a lot of officers in the city and the carrier teleports to a random location, or do you want the carrier to move when and where we want it to?" I asked.

"Fine," replied Hanzo. "When can you be ready?"

"I'm ready now."

"We have a pair of suspects that have been observing Saffron Tower. Their names are Butch and Cassidy." Hanzo showed me their photos. "They are high ranking operatives, so they probably have orders to kidnap you or seize Mewtwo."

"If they are high ranking, then they should know about the assembly area and would have a reason to lead me there."

Within the hour I was in a disguised police van discretely watching another disguised van that was discretely watching Saffron Tower. Officer Jenny was looking over the monitors in the police van and having a breakfast donut. I asked, "Could you send a police car by with its sirens on?"

She nodded and made a coded request.

As the sirens came down the street, the Team Rocket members inside the van were relatively calm as they divided their attention between checking the systems of their escape craft and scanning my home.

After the police car passed, Jenny raised a curious eyebrow.

I explained, "They have what I need. Now for the chase."

I led Officer Jenny out of the police van and walked over to the Team Rocket van, where I pounded on the side and demanded, "What's the big idea? There are laws about electronic surveillance! Officer Jenny, arrest these people." I mentally pushed Butch and Cassidy out of their calm.

Their van split open and a mini-jet was launched.

I wasn't prepared for their speed!

"Mewtwo!" I mentally shouted to the apartment as I tried to fly after Team Rocket, "They're too fast!"

Mewtwo leapt off of Saffron Tower, intercepted me and sped off in the direction I was going. He was clad in his own suit. "What happened?" he asked.

"We need to follow those Team Rocket members back to their assembly area in the Viridian Forest."

Mewtwo increased his speed as he mentally asked, "Follow or catch?"

"Follow," I answered. I checked my Pokétch navigation program. "If possible, I should also divert them into another police jurisdiction to force their aid."

"If I get you close enough, do you have the strength to change their course?"

"Yes."

As Mewtwo closed the gap, he thought, "We're being followed."

"Those helicopters are on our side," I replied.

"Did you think this through?" asked Mewtwo.

"No. I only considered why this was necessary. I assumed that we could handle the minor details." I psychically reached the tail of the mini jet and forced it into the direction of Celadon City.

My Pokétch picked up the radio request for assistance to the Celadon Police.

I gave the mini jet a little shake and let go. Butch was piloting and considering where to ditch the plane. I planted a suggestion to go to the Viridian Forest, but Butch ignored it. I made Cassidy blurt out, "Viridian Forest?" and read Butch's conscious reaction.

I summarized the situation to Mewtwo, "Here are some of those minor details: These two are not high level operatives, so they don't know about the assembly in the forest, and their aircraft doesn't have the range to reach our objective."

"Trying again is out of the question?" asked Mewtwo.

"Correct."

"Is the objective to follow the craft or the humans to the assembly area?"

"Either," I answered.

"If the craft is destroyed, can the humans land safely?"

I psychically shook the craft and felt Cassidy's mind as she checked the straps to her parachute.

Mewtwo saw through my mind that Team Rocket would land safely. He increased our altitude and asked, "Where do we need to go?"

"That forest on the other side of the water."

He dropped below the level of the plane and thought, "Point them in the right direction."

I mentally grabbed the tail of the plane and turned it until my Pokétch indicated we were on course. "Ready."

Mewtwo closed the distance to the plane, just as we flew over the water. "Hang on tightly and put up a shield," Mewtwo ordered. I did as he told. (I can't believe that I'd say that about anyone other than grandmother.) Mewtwo encased the cockpit in a large Aura Sphere and launched it in the right direction. The rest of the jet was shredded and drifted down to the bay.

Since I focused my shield against the debris, it wasn't aerodynamic enough in the direction of travel and we decelerated hard.

"Oh no, their craft exploded, we should follow and help them," thought Mewtwo mockingly. He added his power to my shields and leveled out our flight. "I'm surprised that you faint after I let off one shot."

"Is that an attempt at a sexual innuendo?"

Mewtwo assembled his psychic rocket and shot off in the direction of Team Rocket. "Since you added a sexual content to my observation of your psychic abilities, then I can assume that my attempt was successful."

"Saffron Police, this is Sabrina. There was an explosion. The cockpit was sent in the direction of Viridian Forest. I'm going ahead to search for survivors and render aid."

"The humans hid in the debris and landed at the water's edge," announced Mewtwo.

I scanned the shore ahead.

"The one behind us," replied Mewtwo.

"That was skillful," I commented. "What are we following?"

"The pointy bit," replied Mewtwo as he sped up.

I checked my Pokétch and made corrections to our flight path. I sensed a collection of human thoughts, but couldn't see any buildings. I relayed this to Mewtwo. He changed the direction of the tumbling cockpit until it crashed into a camouflaged building.

"Oops," we giggled.

"Saffron Police, Saffron Police, this is Sabrina. The cockpit has crashed in Viridian Forest. I'm going in to…"

"Incoming projectiles," observed Mewtwo.

"Fly away," I thought as I launched an Aura Sphere at the pair of missiles. "Incoming missiles! I repeat: I am being fired upon with missiles. To the forces below, this is Sabrina, deputy of the Saffron Police. I have followed Team Rocket to this location and seek to render aid to the crash victims. This is a police action, do not fire."

More missiles were launched and helicopters popped up from around the forest.

"This is the SDF. You are in a restricted area. Land at once." The reply came back on the police band.

"Damn," I thought, "The police won't enter the area if they believe it to be under the control of the Self Defense Force."

"And confirming that this isn't the Self Defense Force will take time," added Mewtwo. "Tell them that we're landing."

"SDF, abort missiles and stand down, we are returning to land."

The missiles and helicopter continued to pursue. "Now what?" I thought.

Mewtwo went straight down. Once under the forest canopy, we flew right back at the assembly area. Booby traps erupted into life as we approached! Sprays, lasers, missiles and nets sprang out from every possible direction.

"To all police forces: This is Team Rocket and not the SDF. I repeat: This is Team Rocket and not the SDF. I'm agent Looker of the Inter..." Agent Looker's transmission was cut off. My Pokétch indicated jamming.

"I think we should head back."

Mewtwo responded by crashing through the crown of a tree. I indicated the direction back to Saffron City, but thought about how Team Rocket could overwhelm the police forces.

"The carrier has moved," observed Mewtwo. "Damage the other craft."

I hit a Team Rocket helicopter with an Aura Sphere. My attack landed on the tail rotor and the helicopter became hard to control. Mewtwo and I then attacked every Team Rocket helicopter with an Aura Sphere to the tail rotor.

Hunter J's carrier forced its way past the remaining Team Rocket forces and charged at us. "Head that way," I directed as I pointed toward Saffron City.

Mewtwo had more acceleration than the carrier, so we developed a good lead. "Another minor detail: I had to leave all the weapons behind," commented Mewtwo.

"If we go through the city at full speed, we'll do more damage than the carrier," I speculated. I looked back and noted, "They went invisible."

"I can still feel them," remarked Mewtwo.

"When we get to the water's edge turn and follow it. We'll look for some nice rocks to throw."

Mewtwo pulled a hard right turn and dove to three meters above the water. I felt like my face was being pulled off by the turn. Sand, sand, mud… "There: rocks." I pulled up several kilograms of small round rocks, gathered them together and created an Aura Sphere around them. When I was confident with my hold I told Mewtwo, "Full speed over the water and make a hard turn to the left."

He did and climbed. "Can you feel their presence enough to hit them?" he asked.

"No, but if I throw enough rocks, I'll hit something," I replied as I readied my shot. I scattered the rocks before the carrier. Some rocks hit, but not enough to slow the carrier or disrupt the invisibility.

Mewtwo turned back towards Saffron City as he asked, "Can you sense any thoughts?"

"No."

"Can you use Miracle Eye?"

"Give me a moment." I meditated on the skill of looking past the dark thoughts that can shield minds. I focused that skill through my eyes and saw the distortions the carrier made to the sky. "I can see them."

"I can see houses," replied Mewtwo. "Use your Aura Sphere."

I launched an Aura Sphere. Once the sphere left the protection of Mewtwo's shield it was buffeted, but still connected with the carrier. I launched another and then a third, before noting, "The carrier has a strong shell that's designed to take damage and not transfer it to the inside."

"Then we need weapons," concluded Mewtwo. He turned us and accelerated to Saffron Tower. I flinched as the buildings grew into a wall before us. We braked so hard that I started to blackout. He set me down on the roof top garden and collected his shoulder bag.

"What's happening?" asked Yuki as she ran outside.

"Hunter J is coming," replied Mewtwo. "Get everyone to safety."

"I'm coming with you," I insisted.

"You're hurt," he argued.

"You can't see the carrier."

He pulled a set of goggles onto this helmet and said, "Now I can and I can't carry you." He shot toward the sky and turned toward the enemy.

"I'm not letting him fight alone," I declared as I pushed Yuki away and levitated after Mewtwo.

A psychic statement of, "I will help him," made my head hurt more; it must have been the other Mewtwo.

"Sabrina, you need to get to safety," insisted Yuki.

"Both Mewtwos are going to fight with Hunter J. I need to keep the city safe from the destruction."

I flew as fast as I could in the direction that Mewtwo went.

"Heh," commented Gengar as he flew along side.

"This isn't a game," I grumped.

Gengar expanded and swallowed me. A moment later he spat me out miles away from Saffron City. Before us four and a half Mewtwos were battling Hunter J's carrier. The battlefield was in a rural area and three humans with various Pokémon were on the ground. I floated down to join them.

Misty was on the ground and quickly introduced Brock and Duplica as she cradled a golden Pikachu.

"The Ditto trainer," I recalled.

"Transform into the strongest Pokémon possible and fight Hunter J," commented Duplica. "You can thank Ash for that idea." A golden Mewtwo was floated over to Duplica's care.

"Despite the raw psychic power, you're not making much progress," I observed. "Recall one of your Dittos, have it copy the Mewtwo in the green suit and then use Aura Sphere." I intercepted an entrapment beam with an Aura Sphere. I spied Ash Ketchum riding a Charizard and making a Flamethrower run against the carrier.

Steelix moved in to shield the humans from debris.

Duplica got the attention of one of her Dittos. It swooped in for instructions, made the change and flew off with an Aura Sphere at the ready.

"I noticed that its face didn't transform," I commented.

"That happens when he gets really stressed. It shouldn't affect his power level," replied Duplica.

The improved Ditto flew past another Mewtwo, who transformed into Chief. The barrage of Aura Spheres caused the carrier to shed great sections of its hull.

"Are you going to admit that you can't defeat a dark carrier with psychic power?" I asked Mewtwo mentally.

"I don't use Aura Sphere," replied Mewtwo.

"Then see through my eyes." I opened myself to every nuance and experience I had with Miracle Eye. Mewtwo calmly let his psychic power flow into the machine. The carrier shuddered and buckled as it was folding in half. As the carrier fell powerless in the field, I sensed a change in its dark nature. "It can still be a trap," I broadcasted to everyone.

All the mobile copies of Mewtwo surrounded the fallen craft, but kept their distance.

Multiple messages came through my Pokétch about alarms at Saffron Tower. There was also a priority call, "Sabrina, this is dad. We've just detected three dimension breaches. One is in a rural area northwest of the city and two more in your tower."

"I'm sending you a beacon signal," I replied. "How close am I to the first breach?"

"Within twenty meters," he replied.

"We just brought down the carrier. Something must have teleported out and into the tower. Send my location to Commissioner Hanzo."

"Did we win?" asked Duplica with a hint of sadness.

Duplica, Ash and Misty were thinking about their next move against the carrier. Brock was thinking about protecting the others lest the carrier exploded. From inside the carrier I could sense pain, confusion and betrayal. To the left and some distance away I could sense a cold focus on Mewtwo. "Everyone dodge!" I shouted as I poured all my psychic energy against those cold thoughts. The fallen leaves were stirred and the bare trees groaned and cracked, as did a distant rifle.

"Sniper! We need a barrier on all sides!"

Mewtwo pulled the soft farmland into a high berm around us.

"Ash, get down here now!" demanded Misty.

"But…"

I psychically grabbed Charizard's wings and brought the pair down.

"Everyone: focus on listening," I ordered as I tried to sense other thoughts. It was quiet. I couldn't detect any other thoughts beyond the berm. "Hanzo, shots have been fired. We have at least one sniper to the…west of our position," I reported. "No one is injured."

"I should…," started Mewtwo, but I cut him off.

"You should stay put, because someone tried to shoot you. That means they should know your ability."

"We have a helicopter and officers on the way," replied Hanzo over the Pokétch.

A report from tower security indicated that Stanley's lab was hit; emergency services had been called.

"Hanzo, go to the warptile and tell me what teleports in," I ordered. I activated the beacon program and teleported a handful of dirt with rice stubble.

"Some mud," replied Hanzo.

"Everyone: recall your Pokémon." Seconds later five Pokémon and five humans teleported to police headquarters.

"I'm sorry that I can't keep watch over the carrier," I said to Hanzo as I shooed the humans off the warptile, "But there's an emergency at the tower." The emergency at the tower shunted all warptiles to evacuate mode. The closest warptile that was in receiving mode was located in the train station.

I teleported into the station and flew out, over the heads of startled commuters. As soon as I left the station I could see that the north side of the tower was undamaged. I heard alarms and sirens, but I didn't see smoke. I reached into my reserves of energy to fly around the building. On the other side was broken glass where something left the building. I entered. This was Stanley's floor. A sprinkler was spraying water, walls were damaged and people were shouting from Stanley's workshop, including an officer that insisted that I stay back.

"This is my building," I replied and pushed him aside. The workshop looked like it was turned upside down. The racks of parts had been knocked over like dominoes.

"Owie," mumbled Rotom.

I carefully shifted the debris to let Rotom crawl out with half a robot body.

"My toy," whimpered Rotom.

"Toys can be replaced. We need to make sure Stanley and Spinda are safe. Can you go through the debris to find them?"

Rotom floated out of the broken toy and phased through the debris. "Spinda is here," noted Rotom.

I shifted the toppled rack and pulled out Spinda. He was placed on a stretcher and examined.

"Stanley is here."

I directed the emergency personal as I shifted another rack. They pulled him out. I tried to be patient as they examined him.

"Is there anyone else?" asked the medic.

"What?" I asked. "Rotom, was there anyone else in here?"

"A Salamence, but it left."

"What did it do?"

"I dunno."

"You and Spinda are going to Nurse Joy and get a complete check up, so be good." To the emergency personal I said, "I need to return to police headquarters, but I need to interview Stanley later. Please inform me when and where he is admitted."

I teleported back to police headquarters. In a conference room everyone was waiting for me.

The focus of the humans' concerns was their entrapped Pokémon.

"I tried to tell them that you can fix this," commented Chief.

I held out my hands to Ash. He handed over his most loyal Pokémon. "Do you remember being shrunk and put in my dollhouse?"

"You turned Brock and me into dolls," recalled Misty.

I placed Pikachu on the table.

I focused on the dimensional path that would take Pikachu back to normal.

Something on my head itched.

I turned Pikachu around so he faced Ash and then I completed the transformation. Ash was hit by a Thunderbolt that was cut short.

"Sabrina!" scolded Misty.

"I'd just figured that 1. Pikachu was caught during an attack. 2. Ash is used to electric attacks. 3. Pikachu is more likely to stop attacking Ash over me."

"Sorry," squeaked Pikachu.

If I hadn't tied my hair into a braid, it would have been standing on end.

"Is there something I should know about your Ditto before I start?"

"Don't be surprised by the color," offered Duplica.

I released the second Pokémon. The freed Ditto changed from a purple on hot pink Mewtwo to a normal Ditto.

Hanzo came in and mentioned that Stanley was admitted to Saffron General Hospital.

"I think that he was attacked by Hunter J's Salamence," I replied. "I'm going to ask him for some details. Maybe the attack of the carrier was just a feint."

A short time later at the hospital a doctor came out of the emergency room and asked, "Are you his wife?"

"I'm his employer, friend and former teacher. I'm also a deputized member of the police force and I need to know what happened."

"Um…well Mr. Montgomery was very lucky. No spinal injury or head trauma, just bruises and a cracked radius."

"Mr. Montgomery makes his own luck," I replied. "Can I see him?"

"I'd like to keep him overnight for observation. So if you can wait a moment for us to move him."

I waited and made calls. The first was to Commissioner Hanzo. "Have you secured the crashed carrier?"

"Yes, we made several arrests, including the sniper and Hunter J. Do you want your friends moved to a safe house?"

"I think Hunter J's Salamence teleported in, attacked and left; which shouldn't be possible for several reasons. Once I get some answers from Stanley, I'll know if my house is safe or not."

"Hurry, your friends … well they are making my officers nervous."

"Nervous? How?"

"Several officers have been spotted talking to themselves and then forgetting that they did it."

"I'll contact my grandmother and she can fix that." I hung up on the commissioner and called grandmother. "Grandma, I think the Mewtwos are interrogating the police and wiping their memories."

"Looks like I'll have to herd those cats," she joked.

"Chief is probably curious, for professional reasons."

"It reminds me of when I took your father to a rail yard. I hope Chief doesn't want souvenirs."

When I eventually made it to Stanley's room, I saw in his mind that he was trying to reinvent everything in the room. "I need you to focus Stanley. What did you do when Salamence attacked?"

"I was removing Darkrai from the building."

"How?"

The medications were making his memories swirl. "Adjusted the shields, networked the warptiles to a Poké ball transfer machine ... then Salamence attacked."

I sent commands to Saffron Tower to return to standard shielding levels.

"Spinda is at the Pokémon Center, he'll be fine."

"Okay."

I sent a text for Yuki telling her I was fine, just before I teleported to Police Headquarters. The humans were waiting impatiently in the conference room.

"How long are you going to keep us here?" demanded Misty.

"I'm not keeping you..." I was cut off by an incoming message.

"Why is the building in lockdown?" asked Yuki.

I checked my Pokétch and found the building was in lockdown because security discovered a virus in the network.

"Looks like Team Rocket hacked into my tower's computers," I grumped. "Yuki, I'm going to be at police headquarters for a while. Is there somewhere you can stay?"

There was some talking in the background before Yuki replied, "I'll be okay."

I turned to Misty and said, "This operation was big for Team Rocket. They staked out at least my home. Until the police round up the agents around town and my tower's security is back to normal, I'm staying here. I can take you back to your gym in Cerulean City, but I'd advise patience. Let the police interrogate Team Rocket before we move."

Misty said nothing, but she was as restless as her husband.

"Duplica, I noticed that you have some special Dittos."

"Special?" she asked to determine if I meant special as a derogative.

"You have a Ditto that doesn't change its mass, but it can accurately scale down all physical features of a target Pokémon. You have a second Pokémon that determines the opposite gender form of a Pokémon, including unique Pokémon that shouldn't have an opposite gender."

I mentally asked Chief, "Did Ditto's alternate copy of you look like Kitten?"

He sighed and thought, "Yes."

I sent Chief a warm thought of, "We'll find her."

Back to Duplica: "I've read about three of your Dittos, but I don't recall anything about the colorful Ditto."

"That's Toto, he likes to show off," replied Duplica, "so he picks an alternate color for the Pokémon he transforms into. I want to check his coloring against Ash's Noctowl to see if he can predict the 'shiny' type coloring."

"How is 'showing off' good for a wild Ditto?"

"I think he used it for breeding purposes," answered Duplica with a blush.

"Okay, the small talk has led to embarrassment, shall we move on to lunch?" I asked.

"Yes please," chimed in Ash.

"Grandmother, would you care to join us for lunch?" I projected.

She replied, "I have a better idea: let's go to my home for lunch. There's plenty of room and we'll be out to Hanzo's way."

"There are a lot of us," I mentally observed.

Grandmother walked in and said, "I have plenty of room and I insist that you all join me for lunch. Sabrina, would you invite Yuki and the others?"

I nodded.

It took three vehicles to ferry all of us to grandmother's house. I joined the Mewtwos and Gengar in a rented limousine. Since the windows were blacked out, the pair of Pokémon could drop their disguises.

Chief was inspecting everything in the car, while the other one looked annoyed by his twin's fascination with human inventions.

"Be nice; he's a tourist," I thought.

"Being enclosed makes me uncomfortable."

"Is that the only thing bothering you?" I asked.

"I prefer plants to metal containers."

"Then you'd love my world," commented Chief. "Everything is made from plants and rocks. Metal products are very rare, as are humans. If you like working with trees there's plenty of work in the orchard business. If you want to work in the Pokémon Rescue field, I can give you a favorable reference."

"There really isn't much keeping you here, is there?" I asked.

Mewtwo looked at me and then at his feet as he thought. "I am responsible for the other clones."

"What is a clone?" asked Chief.

"A clone is a Pokémon like me; an improved version of other Pokémon. Just like I am an improved version of Mew, so my clones are improvements of their species."

"How many of these clones did you father?" asked Chief.

I stifled a laugh.

"I did not father them, I created them."

"I may have spent most of my life living in a cave, but even I know where eggs come from," admitted Chief.

Before Mewtwo's frustration boiled over, I intervened. "Mewtwo wasn't born from an egg. He was made using human technology. I think that he used to the same technology to make the other clones."

"While technology may be a convenient way to explain things, it doesn't explain me. My world has no technology like this vehicle and yet I exist and I look very much like my twin. Maybe we are both evolved forms of Mew. Maybe the humans on this world duplicated the conditions on my world that led to me."

"Why would it matter?" asked Mewtwo.

"Then the meaning for your existence is not wholly dependent on the humans who you resent and thus you resent yourself. I've already been through the mad-at-the-world and I-hate-my-existence phase. I much prefer the state I'm in now."

"Really?" asked Mewtwo. "How long can you be happy searching for her? How long before it wears you down?"

Chief shrugged. "Watching the Dittos help us in battle brought back a thought I had long ago, 'What if she isn't a real Mewtwo?'. Maybe she was a Ditto or Mew that didn't change back. But now that I think back, it didn't matter what Pokémon she was on the inside. She showed me what I could be and she believed in me. Yes I want her back, but a part of her is still with me and that makes the struggle a little easier."

"I think that a Pokémon living in your world has it much easier than one living in mine."

Gengar started to snore as his head rested on my lap.

"I'll admit that he isn't struggling to make a living for himself," confessed Mewtwo of his gardening partner. "But he doesn't aspire to levels of Sabrina and her Grandmother."

"I conduct a lot of my business through lawyers and proxies," I replied.

"So aside from gardening and world conquest, what other marketable skill do you have?" asked Chief.

"Markets are a human invention," grumbled Mewtwo.

"No, we've got markets as well," corrected Chief. "If you wish to aspire to the levels of Sabrina, then you have to dominate a market. So either you compete in the market established by humans and their technology or you create a new market. I suppose that you could apply your skills to leadership and politics, but I never would recommend it. Maybe you could apply your clone knowledge to gardening…"

Chief closed off his mind to us and giggled.

"Tell us what's so funny," I insisted.

"I was trying to put my original image of cloning with those small plants at your home."

My mind wandered back to an image of Mewtwo's special bonsai.

Chief looked at me and thought, "I can understand why my stoic twin is blushing, but why are you blushing?"

"I'm not going to say," I replied and closed my mind to all but the view through the window tint. Some things have changed with the view, such as that new fast food restaurant, yet that middle school is still the same. I asked my mother about that school once. She told me what it was and how it was similar to the gym. I asked mom if I would go to a school, but she replied that I could if I wanted to. I never did for I was already obsessed with power.

"Sabrina?"

Both Mewtwos were looking at me.

"What?" I asked.

"I've seen that look before," replied Chief.

"What look?"

"That look that I saw in my own reflection: that cold determination to fight the world. I didn't think that I'd see it again."

"You hoped that you wouldn't see it again," corrected the other Mewtwo.

"True."

"That's in the past," I explained, "Hopefully for all of us."

Chief nodded.

Mewtwo nodded. "Unfortunately, my past still chases me."

"Now he's going to get all gloomy," I sighed. "Yet some of your greatest regrets are not that far behind you, are they?"

"Oh?"

"I recall a certain bonsai, with smooth bark and curly leaves."

Mewtwo blushed again.

"He doesn't look gloomy," observed Chief.

"You are cruel," grumped Mewtwo.

"Because I tease you? Because a lowly human treats you as an equal?" I asked.

"And not as a monster?" added Chief.

"Or a god?" I added.

"Maybe he wants to be a god," speculated Chief.

The limo vibrated at Mewtwo's reply, "I do not."

"He's a bad liar," I observed.

"Smile."

"What?"

"I don't think I've seen you smile," commented Chief.

"Why should I?"

"Because you're free and you have friends."

Mewtwo smiled.

I fell out of my seat laughing.

"Maybe you should start with a grin," offered Chief.

"What's wrong with the way I smile?"

I was shielding my eyes as I laughed.

"Sabrina I was hoping that you could be more supportive of his first attempt," scolded Chief.

"I've smiled before," argued Mewtwo.

Gengar awoke and asked, "Have you started drinking without me?"

"You learned to smile from a lecherous, drunken Gengar!" I laughed.

"Why should lechery affect the way one smiles?"

I peek through my fingers. Mewtwo was giving me a curious scowl yet still smiling with a monstrous, Gengar-like, toothy smile. I laughed so hard that I choked.

"You accuse me of being out of character, but look at yourself," retorted Mewtwo. "The stoic gym leader is laughing like a lunatic."

Chief chuckled.

"You think my smile is funny?" asked Mewtwo.

"I think watching Sabrina is funny," replied Chief. "Sabrina?"

"What?"

Chief was stretching his face sideways in a cheap Haunter impersonation. "Honk, honk, honker." My sides were aching from the laughter.

"It doesn't take much to get her going," observed Mewtwo. "What are you doing?"

"Smiling," replied Chief.

"Are you mocking me?"

"No, I'm doing my best to look exactly like you."

"I look like that?"

"Yes."

"Gengar, how could you do that to me?" asked Mewtwo.

"You got to start somewhere," replied the ghost.

"That's not so bad. Imagine if a Pikachu taught you to smile."

I forced my eyes open to look at Chief. He puffed out and reddened his cheeks.

"You look like you've been stung," observed Mewtwo.

"I'm trying to be cute," replied Chief.

"I don't do cute."

"No, you do lecherous drunk," I giggled. I psychically undid my hair from the braid and said, "I bet I look like a Tangela."

"A noble attempt, but you've got the wrong shoes," observed Chief. "Here's a tricky one." Chief puckered his lips and made his facial fur stick out in clumps.

"A Qwilfish?" guessed Mewtwo.

Chief nodded.

"Have you been mocking your clients?" I asked.

"I hope not. But I try to make subtle changes to my appearance to make them feel more comfortable."

I had another giggling fit. "Mewtwo's clients are potted plants."

"That's easy with these hands," remarked Chief. "I just spread out the fingers and I'm a Sudowoodo."

I projected an image of a small tree in a pot.

"That's not how it looked," argued Mewtwo. He sat on the floor in the lotus position with his arms down and palms up. "I trained that tree so it would mimic a person meditating under a waterfall. Since you were going to apologize to Kiyo, I thought that shape would be appropriate."

"Show them, 'Umbrella Girl'," suggested Gengar.

Mewtwo held his tail to mimic a girl holding an umbrella while peeking out from the cover and checking for rain with his other palm held up. Once he established his form, he mentally projected images of weeping leaves and the bare branches that represented fingers.

"He got a great review for a special commission for the Picnic Girl Association," remarked Gengar.

As Mewtwo changed his position to match a running Picnic Girl, he commented, "You're the one who noted how the pine needles looked like the pleated skirt of their uniform."

"Since my partner is too proud to ask, could you help him publish a book he's writing?"

"Gengar," scolded Mewtwo.

"What's the title?"

"Ballet for Trees," replied Gengar.

"It's just an idea I had," commented Mewtwo.

"I would be happy to help you."

"Thank you," replied Mewtwo.

"The book would be a photo collection of the various forms that he's created," remarked Gengar. He stood up and hunched over as he imitated a backpacker with load.

"Isn't this topiary and not bonsai?" I asked.

"We do both," remarked Mewtwo. "Some specimens are very obvious in their mimicry, for others we were more subtle."

"We have a commission for a Ho-oh that we'll start in the spring. The idea is that it'll cast a shadow at sunset that will look like Ho-oh is flying overhead."

"Why wait till spring?" asked Chief.

"Because we need the plant's foliage, the correct light and to find Ho-oh to pose," listed Mewtwo seriously.

"Do all of your projects reflect people and Pokémon?" asked Chief.

"The amount of mimicry depends from project to project."

"Show them 'Pussy + Willow'," suggested Gengar.

Mewtwo started to bend over backwards when he remarked, "That was your project."

Gengar gave us a big, lecherous smile.

"Looks like you figured out what it represents," chuckled Gengar.

Mewtwo and I exchanged glances.

"Sabrina is blushing," sang Gengar.

"You are in so much trouble," I growled.

Gengar's appearance turned to cute and innocent, "But I did it for you."

"You said you made it for Gardevoir," corrected Mewtwo.

"Stop being so honest," hissed Gengar.

"One of you two needs to be honest and I guess that won't ever be you, will it?" I asked as I pinched Gengar's cheek.

"Ow, ow, ow!"

"Wait a minute. 'Pussy plus willow'?"

"It's more fun that way," replied Gengar with his naughty grin. "Wouldn't you say?"

"I never understood why you named it Pussy + Willow, when you obviously used a birch bark cherry."

"Because if I named it 'Pop the cherry' then it wouldn't be subtle or true for certain people."

"What is he talking about?" asked Chief.

I grabbed Gengar and stuffed him into his own mouth. "Nothing that you need to worry about," I blurted.

"We had sex," commented Mewtwo flatly.

"With Sabrina or Gengar?"

"Sabrina," confessed Mewtwo.

I groaned.

"That isn't surprising," commented Chief.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded.

"I would be surprised if Mewtwo and Gengar had sex, since I can't imagine how and yet I can imagine what Gardevoir would do to them."

"Oh. Let's save this conversation for another time. At the moment we're at my grandmother's house."

Both Mewtwos broadcasted a strong mental image of them being human. Grandmother's Xatu opened the door and showed the Pokémon into the house. I stayed behind and went through the limo driver's mind. The driver was Attila, a Team Rocket agent. His partner, Hun, was driving the limo carrying Yuki and friends. Attila's lack of brains made him easy to manipulate, but that meant that Hun could be hard to control from a distance.

"Chick coop to egg basket," he spoke into the transmitter, "Rendezvous at grandma's house."

"That's not the plan," replied Hun.

"The big bad wolf is at grandma's house and wants everyone there."

"Who? What are you talking about chicken coop?"

"Who else would be the Big Bad Wolf?" replied Attila.

"G…understood Chicken Coop."

I plunged Attila into a deep trance and then sought Yuki's thoughts.

"Sabrina?" she replied.

"Are you getting closer?" I asked.

"I can't tell, the windows are too dark and I'm… my Poketch."

She was getting farther away. If the limo picked up Yuki at Jean's apartment and was going to Viridian city in a hurry, then they'd take the Highway Route 5.

[Warp tile evacuation override: Set 'Front Door' to receive mode.]

I felt the teleport path back home open and slipped past the dimensions.

"Yuki, can you hear my thoughts?"

"Yes. I think that we're on the expressway."

"Don't panic or raise an alarm," I replied as I ran through the apartment.

"Are we being kidnapped?"

"Yes. Concentrate and I'll find you."

"Oh I'm going to concentrate!"

Yuki's mind was a mix of white-hot rage and cold steel concentration. Since I poured all my strength into flying, I couldn't probe her mind too deeply.

When I reached the expressway, traffic was piling up. Yuki, Jean and Zoey had confronted Hun, destroyed the limo, defeated Steelix and secured Hun with metal scraps.

"Commissioner Hanzo. My friends just restrained Team Rocket Agent Hun on the Route 5 expressway. Team Rocket Agent Attila is asleep in a limo at my grandmother's house."

"Understood."

"Great job guys," I commented as I touched down on the road's shoulder.

"Just because we can't fly around that doesn't mean we can't hold our own in a fight," replied Zoey.

I telekinetically dragged the wrecked limo out of the traffic lanes.

"Show off," giggled Jean.

"What kind of code is 'Big Bad Wolf'?" scoffed Hun.

"That would be me," I replied. "As in, don't mess with a she-wolf when it's protecting its own." [Ghost Damper Field: off] I gripped Hun's jaw in an icy Shadow Claw. "Now, you are going to recall every detail about this kidnapping plan."

When the police arrived at the scene, I had three names for them to check: an agent at the limo company, one at a taxi company and a driver for Yoshida department store.

"Since we haven't had any luck with the limo, could you give us a ride?" asked Zoey.

After a second police car arrived at the scene, we crammed ourselves into the patrol car. I was in the back with Yuki and Zoey; Jean sat in front and fluttered her eyes at the officer.

"You are a real police officer, aren't you?" asked Zoey.

"Yes ma'am," he replied.

"Just in case that you are a Team Rocket member, if you would be so kind as to drop us off at my grandmother's house, we'll let you go," I offered.

"Just in case that you are really a police officer, would you like my phone number?" offered Jean.

The officer's surface thoughts remained mostly professional with a few lustful flashes as he made small talk with Jean.

"How are you doing?" asked Yuki.

"Tired," I thought.

"Did Mewtwo wear you out again?" she teased.

"Duplica brought her Dittos and I had a massive Mewtwo orgy," I joked as I fell asleep.

Yuki shook me awake. "Is it another kidnapping?" I asked.

"No, we're at your grandmother's house."

"I hope there's still something to eat," I mumbled.

Xatu greeted us and led the way inside. Zoey was amazed by the size of the house and Jean was distracted by thoughts of the police officer. Yuki was walking close.

"Sounds like a party," remarked Zoey.

When Xatu slid open the door to the main hall a round of applause came out to great us. The four of us entered as a group, but I stayed by the door and applauded my friends.

Yuki mentally hissed, "Sabrina?"

"You three stopped a Team Rocket agent so you deserve it."

I moved past the various Pokémon and took refuge next to grandmother.

"Is everything okay?" she mentally asked.

I spied Mom and Dad in the crowd and thought, "Yes."

"I had a buffet made for lunch. Is there anything you'd like to have?"

"Sleep, tea, rice and protein," I listed, "In no particular order."

"Try to keep up appearances and don't slouch."

"Yes Ma'am."

There was a message on my Poketch from Nurse Joy; Spinda and Rotom would be fine after a night's rest.

My Grandmother mentally observed, "Your mood lightened for a moment, but you're brooding again."

"There were no serious injuries to any Pokémon on our side. But something feels wrong. Hunter J and Giovanni are better planners than this fiasco would indicate."

"I'm glad you and your friends are safe," commented my mother as she sat a tray of food before me. The tray had rice, tea and miso soup and fried fish.

"Thank you, mom."

"Will that Mr. Looker be joining us?" she asked a sweet way that meant if he did, then he would realize where I got my cruel streak.

"I think he is still in Viridian Forest dealing with Team Rocket."

"That's too bad," she replied with a wink. She wandered off to talk to Jean.

"'Fiasco'?" asked my grandmother. "They fought the most powerful psychics in the world."

I watched the cloud of miso as it moved in the bowl. The little eddies and convection currents shifted the uniform white into a tight rolling mass. A bit of tofu floated past the night-black lacquered background of the bowl. I stared into the darkness to find the clue that was mocking me.

"Darkrai," I thought.

"?"

"I was possessed by a Darkrai. Saffron Tower was possessed by a Darkrai until Stanley removed it. When he did, he was attacked by Hunter J's Salamence. Hunter J's carrier had dark-type protection against Mewtwo's attacks. Hunter J was shielded from my thoughts by a dark-type."

"Darkrai possessed the whole building?"

"It was more like an infestation. I don't think that there was enough present to count as consciousness, but there was enough to be an influence."

"Did Darkrai possess your hair?"

"No, I kissed a Pikachu."

"You lead such an interesting life," replied my grandmother with a tiny laugh.

"Thank you."

"What's next?"

"We still need to find Chief's mate and a means of transport back to his own world."

"Do you want to let him go?"

"I'm not going to put him in a Poké ball and claim him for myself. He has his own life and Pokémon that depend on him."

"That's rather uncharacteristic of you."

"I need a little variety in my life. I think Chief is feeling left out. Chief, come sit here, visit and meet my grandmother."

Chief took his tray of food over to us and sat.

"I hope our little banquet will give you a better opinion of humans," wished my grandmother.

"Lady Lilith, with the recent events in mind I'd have to conclude that humans are just like Pokémon: some let their base emotions control them and some are true exemplars."

"Have you had special training in charm or do you come by this naturally?"

"On the job training: 'keep the clients happy', 'be diplomatic' and so on."

"I've been trying to teach that to Sabrina for years. How long did it take you to learn?"

"A few weeks," thought Chief. "To Sabrina's credit, she has many fine qualities and I have never noticed her being domineering."

Grandmother turned to me and asked, "Should I look for a double entendre in that? Made you blush."

Chief looked from grandmother to me for an explanation. "She's is still training me, so she will say things to test my emotional control."

"So she uses teasing as a training aid, impressive," remarked Chief.

Grandmother got me with another tease, "Since Sabrina has made a fortune on selling 'aids' of a different sort, I'd hope that she'd be better able to defend herself."

"Fascinating," thought Chief.

"You enjoy watching me suffer?" I thought.

"Not at all," replied Chief with a shake of his head. "I am amazed by Lady Lilith's level of control of her pheromones. I've never see that kind of skill in a non-grass type. It's like she can take all the scents of sexual attraction and activity and deliver it to you. Although many Pokémon have that skill, your grandmother times her comments and telepathic suggestion to occur when the pheromones are at their peak of effectiveness. Truly you are a master artist. I applaud you."

Grandmother was blushing.

"You've been cheating all these years?" I asked

"I'm surprised that you couldn't smell what she was doing."

"Human noses are not that sensitive," I replied.

"Not that I have any reason to interfere with your relationship with my double, but I would advise caution: he has problems accepting that he may be partly human, if only in design."

"I'm not in a relationship with Mewtwo," I insisted quietly.

Chief looked at me, but pointed to my grandmother.

"Grandma?"

"Shh, calm your thoughts. It's just the occasional flirt," she insisted.

"An affair with the gardener, how scandalous," I teased.

Grandmother's face was flawlessly pale and without a hint of blush.

Grandmother turned to Chief and asked, "Was I that obvious to you?"

"Only because you teased Sabrina twice," thought Chief. "Since I had a reaction before Sabrina did, even though I didn't understand the meaning of the joke, I had to assume that there was some extra agent. When we traveled together from police headquarters I noticed several scents on Mewtwo. Just now I identified your pheromones as one of those scents."

"I would appreciate your discretion in this matter."

"Discretion is an essential aspect of my profession."

"Thank you. Sabrina?"

"My business is discretion," I thought.

"This isn't business, this is personal."

"I'll keep your secrets," I assured her. "But I'll definitely tease you about it."

"My friends, the evening is getting late but I have no intention of sending you away. There is plenty of room for all of you to spend the night here. Good night."

After grandmother retired for the evening, mom asked me, "Sabrina, do you have a place to stay tonight? We don't have as much room as Lady Lilith, but we'll make room if you want."

"I think that I'll stay here tonight. If Team Rocket makes one more attempt, then I want to be here looking after the Mewtwos."

"Then goodnight dear. Goodnight Chief." Mother made her way to the door as she bid everyone a good night, or offered them a ride home.

"Your mother would make an excellent Kangaskhan," thought Chief. "If Hunter J is in custody, can we return to my mission?"

"I have made an appointment tomorrow to visit Professor Oak."

"The one who was spinning the woman on his…?"

"Yes."

"Is that his profession or just a hobby?"

"Hobby," I answered.

"It was an unusual technique."

"You made a sketch of it, didn't you?"

"Yes I did. Would you like to see?" asked Chief as he opened his bag.

"No, I don't. Since that man is the woman's son, I recommend that you keep that sketchbook closed."

"Yes ma'am. Now go to bed."

"Excuse me?"

"You've been at the edge of exhaustion this whole afternoon. Get some sleep."

"Good night. Ask your brother to come with us tomorrow to visit Professor Oak. If there any sightings of a Mewtwo, it would help to know which ones are you two."

Chief wandered over to Mewtwo, who was trying hard not to be there. I made my way over to Ash, who was talking with Zoey. "Hey Boss."

"Ash, I need to take a trip to Pallet Town tomorrow, would you like to ride along?"

"I'll have to talk it over with Misty."

"That's fine. We'll probably leave after breakfast. Goodnight. Goodnight Zoey."

"Hey Boss, if you're going to Pallet Town, does that mean I get the day off tomorrow?"

"If you want, but don't you have some students getting ready for the Pokémon Contest? I can't call that off."

"Goodnight Boss."

When I shuffled out of the main room, Xatu led me to a guestroom with a super soft futon. I fell asleep as soon as I laid down.


	29. Chapter 29

[Author's note: sorry for the long wait. I was stuck on the next chapter and I don't like to submit a chapter until the next one is ready in case I need to fix both of them for continuity sake.]

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Lemon warning: This story has lemons, so if you're under 18 read something else. Some use of alcohol too.

The Evils of Truth and Love

Sleeping in Grandmother's house was always so comfortable, except this time. Before, I had this room to myself and all of the noisy thoughts of the world were so far away. This time Yuki was crowding me off the futon and Chief had his heavy tail on my stomach. I untangled myself from the others, peeled off the flight suit that I was still wearing and donned a yukata.

I slipped out of the room and went for a bath. Despite my efforts with the shampoo and conditioner, I couldn't straighten my hair. Note to self: kissing a Pikachu is a bad thing. Frustrated with my hair, I gave up, got in the tub and opened the little window to look at the night sky.

Frustration with my hair was the easy part. Under this roof were two newlywed couples with no mental shielding discipline: Brock, once voted the most lecherous man in Kanto, and his wife Duplica, and Misty with her husband Ash who inherited his mother's inhuman sexual stamina.

I could probably wake Yuki and Chief for a midnight fling, but it just wouldn't feel right to do that in this house. I hoped that Saffron Tower would be repaired soon. Soon… soon we'd be in Pallet Town and looking for Chief's mate. If he finds her, he'll take her home. If he doesn't find her, he'll go home anyway.

Yuki must be relieved. She should leave me for what I did. Maybe she will. She's always has been so supportive and tolerant of my behavior. Once the crisis is past she may realize what a flake I am.

The door to the bath opened. Lady Lilith, my grandmother walked in. "I brought you some warm sake, but I think that'll just add to your troubles."

"Yeah, it probably would," I replied as I psychically took the cup.

Grandmother filled the little cup. I took it and drank. The harsh bitter liquid burned me from my nostrils down to my stomach. It took all my willpower to not gag, choke, cough or vomit.

I returned the cup to the tray and offered to pour for my grandmother. She took my offer and drank.

"What is that stuff?" I asked.

"Probably the worst brewed sake of the last century," she replied as she poured me another cup. "It should have been sold as balsamic vinegar, or paint remover."

"Then why drink it?"

"Because when you drink it, it's the only thing that you can think of."

"I can only think of not drinking it."

"That has the same effect," replied grandmother with a little smile. "You've got too much on your mind..."

"I feel like I'm going to lose two relationships soon."

"Probably."

"That isn't very grandmotherly."

"And you're not the typical granddaughter," she replied as she offered me the cup. "Isn't it about time for your fears and paranoia to boil over and make you do something stupid?"

"… I suppose you're right. Do you have a better idea?"

"Enjoy what you have as long as you have it, yet don't take it for granted."

"But when the relationship fails, it hurts even more."

"If the relationship fails," corrected my grandmother. "'When' means that you expect it to fail and so it will. Now get out of that tub and find someone to snuggle with."

"?"

"You own the all of the love hotels in Saffron City, yet you know nothing of romance? Are you denser than Ash Ketchum?"

"His wife calls him 'thick'," I replied as I got up and toweled off.

"Same thing."

"'Thick' is her personal innuendo for the size of his manhood."

"Goodnight Sabrina."

"Goodnight grandmother."

I wrapped myself in the yukata and returned to my room. Chief was sitting by the open window sketching and Yuki was watching over his shoulder.

"Did I wake you two?"

"We we're trying to wake you so you would take a bath," replied Yuki.

"You smelled a little off," replied Chief. "When we realized that the effort needed to wake you wasn't worth a slight improvement of the smell, we fell asleep."

"Slight?" asked Yuki. "She smelled like a men's locker room."

I glared at Yuki. "?"

"I was really good at disguising myself," she replied. "But that's not the point. She smelled bad."

"She may have to a human nose," replied Chief. "But I'm not conditioned to consider those smells as unpleasant."

I took an extra blanket from the closet, bundled up and leaned on Chief's free side to watch him draw. He was putting the finishing touches on a sketch of Spoink and Poliwag. He captured the concern and mirth that those two shared as Spoink dropped his pearl, again.

"If I didn't smell offensive to you, what did I smell like?"

Chief closed his mind and sketched harder.

"You thought I smelled sexy," I purred.

"Actually you smelled like you had sex. But since that subject caused Yuki discomfort, I didn't want to make the point."

"Are you saying I'm jealous?" demanded Yuki.

"I'm saying that I don't understand your relationship, and that I don't want to complicate it with the wrong comment."

"If we're making late night confessions, then I'd like to make mine. I've never really understood relationships either and I usually mess them up. I'm afraid that I'm about to lose two relationships."

"Then it's a good thing that I understand you so well Sabrina. You are so much like Mewtwo and Chief that you could have been their sister," replied Yuki.

Chief turned the page of his sketch book and started a new drawing. The drawing included Mewtwo with a Gengar-like smile and me with my hair doing its Tangela impersonation.

"Don't make yourself look like the normal one. You smiled just like he did," I insisted.

Chief added the goofy smile to his picture as he asked, "How am I like Sabrina?"

"Well… you're both a little distant and detached. At first I thought that Sabrina was just cold, but then I realized that with her ability she has to disconnect from others if she was going to keep her sanity. My ability may not be as strong as hers, but as I came to know more about my students, I realized that I had to place a limit on my connection to them."

I tried to listen to Chief's inner thoughts, but I just found images and calculations of shading and perspective. "You're mentally avoiding something."

"Yes," replied the Mewtwo from another world. "I find drawing a good way to occupy my mind so I don't worry as much."

"Kitten?" asked Yuki.

"Yes and everyone else back home."

"I find a man I can admire for his brains and he has too much of them," I sighed.

Chief probed my mind for the meaning of the joke and gave a little chuckle. "For a moment I thought that you were describing me as a Dodrio."

"Come on," urged Yuki.

Chief paused his drawing, sighed and thought, "There are so many variables in my life that involve Kitten. It seems impossible for another Mewtwo to exist on this world without Sabrina or my twin from knowing. So I must conclude that she isn't on this world. Where do I go next? Or can I go home? If my world's Palkia sent me here to get rid of me, he could prevent me from returning. As much as I admired Kitten and what she did in my world I am torn between building on her legacy and searching for her. If Kitten remembered her past and left, instead of being abducted, then going back would remind me how empty I am. I could go on till morning, but I don't want to upset you two." Chief picked up his pencil and made detailed sketches of the interior of the limousine.

"Now I feel guilty," I admitted.

"Don't be," replied Chief. "You two have been so supportive that I can't thank you enough."

"I feel like I took advantage of you."

"Sabrina feels guilty about sex? Mark the day on the calendar," mocked Yuki.

"It complicates things between Chief and Kitten," I replied.

"That's a little vain. You think that sex with you is enough to change a Mewtwo's mind?"

"…It was my first time," mentioned Chief.

Yuki swore under her breath.

"So that event did make my situation more complicated, but it also made me realize that staying on this world isn't so bad. As long as you two don't fight too much. Otherwise I may have to get one of those balls to hide in."

"We're not fighting," argued Yuki. After Chief and I gave Yuki a stare, she added, "I'm just trying to correct Sabrina's deviant behavior."

"Good luck with that," thought Chief.

"What do you mean by that?" I demanded.

"It's that 'deviant behavior' that she admires so much. If she corrected it, you wouldn't be the person that she loves so much."

"Can we keep him?" asked Yuki.

"If Kitten left you, it's her loss."

Chief gave each of us a kiss on the forehead. I kissed Chief back, while Yuki hugged him. Soon after that, I didn't care that I was in grandmother's house; I just wanted to be with Yuki and Chief.

Chief put away his sketchbook and returned our advances with his amazing fingers and bulbous tail. Yuki and I led Chief back to the futon. Our yukatas were pushed away by three fingered hands. Eventually Yuki and I were holding each other as we gasped for breath. Chief was working his magic on all of our love holes. "If…if we find Kitten, I think that … there's enough of him to go around," I panted.

"Shut up and put that tongue to better use," replied Yuki as she thrust her own tongue into my mouth. Her kisses were instinctive as her mind begged Chief to rub her clit with his thumb. Soon he used the same amazing technique on me: his thumb rubbed my clit while his other two bulbous fingers felt around my pussy and anus and tugged them from the insides.

We would have slowly lost our minds to sexual ecstasy, but something warm was worming its way between Yuki and me: Chief's neglected penis. I squeezed and stroked his shaft with my breasts while Yuki coyly teased the tip with her mouth.

"Just admit that you're a perverted slut," I thought to Yuki.

She winked at me.

A brief flash of guilt swept across my mind as I recalled how easily Yuki used to blush, but I consoled myself by nibbling on Yuki's perky nipples.

Chief's mental shields faltered and his hands trembled as he was torn between enjoying the moment and spraying his seed over us. Nature won so I had to psychically protect the walls and floor from his pleasure. Yuki coughed and choked. I just slipped about on her creamed body as I teased Chief's flaccid member.

"It figures that you like the taste of this stuff," thought Yuki.

"It's an acquired taste," I thought as I licked her nipples clean.

"And how did you acquire your taste?"

I slid down Yuki's body while my tongue snaked along to her belly button and her lower lips. "Just think of the source, like those wine snobs do."

"But instead of tasting someone's feet in the wine…"

"I think of tasting your sweat mixed with his sperm," I mentally purred.

"Why are you two thinking of food and drink?" asked Chief.

"Because I'm greedy for more," I purred. "I want you to fill my pussy with your hot cream as I lick Yuki till she melts." Chief's manhood was still limp, so I just stroked it as I teased Yuki with my tongue. Chief grew hard enough for me to stick him inside me and free up my hands to play with Yuki.

"Sabrina?" asked Chief.

"Hold out a little longer and enjoy," I thought back.

"Don't be greedy," insisted Yuki.

I pulled Chief's manhood out my pussy and teased Yuki with it.

"Don't tease me like that," Yuki mentally whined.

"Then tell me what you want."

"You know what I want."

"Say it out loud," I hissed.

"I want to feel Mewtwo inside of me," blurted Yuki.

I obliged by thrusting Chief into Yuki and licked like mad the place where they were joined.

I fell into Chief's mind has he tried to process all of the stimuli he felt and all the reactions he could read from Yuki and me. "Sabrina?"

I was standing on an empty beach, the ocean sounds were replaced by Mewtwo's heavy breathing. I was naked and he was fully erect. "It's not fair unless we invite Yuki too," I teased. I reached out and pulled in Yuki's consciousness.

"Did you teleport us, or are we in your mind again," asked Yuki.

"Actually, were in Chief's mind. Since he's got more processing power than I do, and a great attention to detail, let's have him direct this one."

"Direct?" asked Chief.

"We're in your dreams. We can have all of the sex that you want and you won't get tired or empty."

"But why here and not in the waking world?" wondered Chief.

"Because here we're not bound by physical laws," I replied. I floated up and lowered myself over Mewtwo's enormous thing. I took in all of it and rubbed my pelvis against his. "And if you're tired of doing me…" I instantly exchanged bodies with Yuki. "You can have her instead." I took Mewtwo's tail and inserted it inside my love hole. I was whipped about in the air and Chief wagged his pleasure.

Chief's dream became an orgy of probing us with every body part that he could imagine, including body parts that he had to imagine and borrow from us; but being a Gentleman/lady, he loaned us his body in return. This went on till Yuki's self image faltered.

I quickly dismantled the dream and found a cool damp cloth for Yuki's forehead.

"Will she be okay?" asked Chief nervously.

"I think that we just pushed her mind faster than it's used too," I replied. "How do you feel?"

"Dizzy," replied Yuki.

"We were in longer than ever before," I explained to her.

"Longer, deeper, harder," replied Yuki wistfully.

"I am such a bad influence on you," I replied.

"You should be punished," teased Yuki.

"Later; right now you need to sleep. Pleasant, wet dreams."

Once Yuki was sleeping, I set about cleaning up the mess from before.

Chief helped by cleaning the floor, while I gave Yuki a light wipe down. Afterwards I showed Chief to the bath. As I scrubbed his back, Chief asked, "Is this what every day is like for you two?"

"Not in the slightest." There was a tight spot under Chief's shoulder blade armor that, when scrubbed, made his tail twitch. "Usually the day starts with dragging Yuki out of bed, going to the gym, battle a trainer for a badge and come home. In between the exciting bits I either workout with my Pokémon or conduct business through my Pokétch."

"Are you happy?"

"Being a gym leader has its rewards, especially when I see the students and their Pokémon grow. I find that my business is a useful release for my extra mental energy and the profit helps with the gym."

We switched positions and Mewtwo worked my back like a sculpture as he traced every bone and joint. "Were you happy?" I asked.

"Yes."

There was an awkward pause.

"I realize that I was happy just to be with Kitten, but the job itself was rewarding and I had more friends at Headquarters than I did living on my own. So if I went back and she wasn't there, I would still find some level of happiness and satisfaction."

"Do you want to go back?"

Before he could think of an answer, there was a knock on the bathroom door, followed by the entrance of four humans: Ash, Misty, Brock and Duplica.

"Oh," remarked Ash who was clearly surprised to find the bath in use.

"There's plenty of room," I remarked as I rinsed off the soap and climbed into the tub with Chief. "I hope you realize that you'll also have to rinse after you leave the tub since Chief is shedding."

"Uh, okay," replied Ash who just stripped off his yukata and sat down to wash himself. Chief and I turned our backs to the others to give them a little privacy.

"I can't imagine that the rest of you are embarrassed to take a bath," I remarked.

"I'm not embarrassed," replied Misty defiantly.

"If you were worried about mental privacy, then it's too late, every psychic in the house could tell what you four were doing."

Chief mentally asked "Are they all suffering from a fever?"

"No, they're just blushing from embarrassment. Will you four be at the Adult Video Convention this year to sign autographs? There is a good chance that you'll win Amateur of the Year."

"Really?" asked Brock.

"I'm sure Ash can find room in his trophy case for 'Rising Star of the Year'."

"You made that up," accused Duplica, who must have been getting cynical lessons from Misty.

I pointed to my Pokétch bracelets that were resting on my yukata. "Should I go online and tell you how many awards your 'Reef Island Adventures' videos qualify for? Would you like to know which the most watched segment is? Would you like to know, from a survey of video booth viewers, which person caused the most ejaculations?"

"'Person'?" asked Brock nervously.

"On second thought, you probably don't want to know," I teased.

"Don't listen to her, she's just trying to mess with your mind," grumped Misty as she rinsed herself.

"I am a psychic; it's what we do."

"How about doing something about letting us go home?"

"Hopefully everything will be wrapped up tonight and whatever Team Rocket forces that weren't captured will go into hiding and not bother anyone for a while."

"I can't believe that they are still causing trouble after all this time," remarked Ash.

"They have been causing trouble since before you were born. I suspect that Giovanni's family has been causing trouble for centuries."

"So is that why they're still at it, even though all the other groups like, Team Magma, failed?"

"Taking over the world is almost impossible, but committing crimes for a profit is much easier."

"Taking over the world may be impossible for a human, but Pokémon in my world have come close. Allegedly one succeeded, and it required a time traveler to come back to my era and undo the takeover," remarked Chief.

"Were you involved with that case?"

"No, I was keeping to myself and watching the clouds go by."

"That seems peaceful."

"In hindsight, it was rather dull. It was much better when I learned to draw and had a need to escape the busy world of Pokémon Rescue."

Ash was the first to climb into the tub, the other three followed a bit sheepishly.

"So Duplica, how's Kanto's newest gym leader doing?"

Duplica sighed. "I've got to a point where I won't lose my house and I can work with my Dittos. Brock could enroll at Saffron University to continue his Pokémon medical training if he gets a scholarship from the Pokémon League."

"What about the Professional Development Grant for Gym Leaders? Brock should qualify."

"I kind of used up the benefits when I did the pre-med studies," lied Brock.

I mentally reached out to my Pokétch and searched the scholarship and finance records for Brock. The grant was used for the Pewter City Gym but all of the money went to Brock's siblings. I composed a quick email to the lawyer to create an extra scholarship for students pursuing Pokémon Medicine, authorization to transfer some funds for seed money and a copy of Brock's scholastic report.

Misty was glaring at me.

"What?" I asked.

"What were you doing?"

"I was wondering if I could turn people into sex toys instead of just dolls. Would you rather be a blow-up doll or a vibrator?"

"Liar."

I mentally replied to her, "Sometimes a lie is better for someone's pride than the truth. How good are you at keeping secrets?" Next I asked out loud, "Ash, what are your plans? Is there any schooling in your future?"

"High school completion," admitted Misty.

"I spent so much time training Pokémon, that I forgot to go to school myself," admitted Ash as he scratched his head.

"At least he can count to eight," teased Misty.

"Maybe you could build on that and become an accountant," I offered.

"If we get his reading and writing level up, he could be a lab assistant for Gary Oak."

"Professor Gary Oak," corrected Brock.

"I'm sure with his 'assets' Professor Orchid would be happy to give him a 'position'." I made sure to wink. "If the education thing doesn't work, you could always be a porn star: limited reading, limited dialog, decent money."

"I'll stick to training Pokémon," replied Ash, "Even if I'm forced to live in a cave."

"As long as you don't expect me to move in with you," grumped Misty.

"There are some benefits to cave life," thought Chief, "But if one wishes to get tough, exposure to the elements is essential."

The humans were groaning in pain as they rubbed their foreheads. "What happened?" muttered Brock.

Chief looked to me.

"Sorry about that, Chief is so used to communicating telepathically to other psychics that he forgot to slow down. I think that we'd better get back to our room. Don't worry if you all have dreams about caves tonight."

The quartet all flinched at the word dream. A quick survey of their surface thoughts revealed that glimpses of our mental orgy had leaked into their dreams. As Chief and I got out of the tub I purposely took my time rinsing and toweling off.

Misty's recall of her dreams was being drowned out by her focus on me.

I projected a question into her mind, "Something wrong?"

"Have you been spying on my dreams?" thought the red-head.

"No dear, you've been peeking into mine," I projected back with a wink.

I picked up my yukata, took Chief by the arm and left the bathroom.

Once I was away from the room I covered up.

"I didn't mean to harm them," admitted Chief.

"I know that. If you wanted to hurt them, you could have mentally shouted like your twin."

"Is there someplace where I could get some fresh air?"

I led Chief to the inner courtyard garden. The evening air was a bit chilly, but crisp. He took in deep breaths though his nose.

"They smelled of sex, didn't they?"

"You noticed?" asked Chief.

"I noticed that you felt awkward."

"I'm sorry about that; I should have had more control."

"You've done enough good deeds today to earn a pardon on a little mental slip," I replied as I hugged his arm.

"There were other thoughts and images in their minds," commented Chief.

I scanned the images that Chief saw in their minds.

I squeezed his arm a little tighter.

"They had conflicted thoughts about this subject, although Ash had hardly any thoughts on the matter."

"Anyone willing to live in a cave clearly isn't thinking about having children. Well, any human in this city."

"Why is the thought so difficult?"

"Raising a human is a long term commitment of at least eighteen years. That commitment is so consuming that it would interfere with Brock's continuing education. In Ash's case, he'd probably leave the child rearing to Misty as he continues to dedicate his time to his Pokémon."

"So there is far more to it than waiting for the egg to hatch," thought Chief.

I nodded.

"You think about it as well," observed Chief.

"I get reminded by my parents and grandmother," I sighed.

"Wouldn't having a female and Pokémon as your lovers make things difficult?"

"I tend to get what I want," I purred as I pulled Chief back in and to the bedroom.

…

"Sabrina?"

I was sleeping blissfully while snuggled between Chief and Yuki. A voice other than theirs was intruding into my mind.

"Sabrina, your guests have left for home and your driver will be back soon to take you to Pallet Town. So it's time to get up and get dressed."

"Thank you grandma." I inhaled the brisk, morning air through Yuki's sweaty hair. I gave her a little shake as I projected, "Wake up and take a bath, we'll be leaving soon."

"Huh?" was Yuki's typical response till about noon, but she got up anyway.

Chief was still asleep; his short, hot breaths made the back of my neck sweaty. I cuddled closer to Chief and shifted a bit to feel his fur tickle my bare skin.

"?"

"We need to get up," I answered.

"Physically, or is that a euphemism for more sex?"

"We need to physically get up, I need to get dressed, eat breakfast and leave."

The morning rituals were quiet and sedated. While we ate a late breakfast, grandma mentioned that my Pokémon went with mom and dad to their house. "I figured that they needed a quiet place to sleep," she commented with a twinkle in her eye.

Yuki's blush temporally overtook her aftersex glow.

"That was very thoughtful of you, grandmother; thank you."

Chief said and thought nothing.

"Where is Mewtwo?" I asked.

"Gengar took him along to your parent's house to talk gardening."

I slightly raised my eyebrow as I added, "That was a good idea too."

Soon, Ivan returned with the minibus, drove us to my parent's house, where we collected Alakazam and Mewtwo, and headed towards Pallet Town.

As we got further from the city, the Mewtwo twins became more relaxed and Yuki slept. Chief was observing the trees as a sketch artist while Mewtwo looked for inspiration as a gardener. Both Pokémon had deeper thoughts. Eventually Chief said to Mewtwo, "I think this may be your best chance for help."

"?"

"You are not alone or unique and there are humans who really have your best interest in mind. What is it about them that you resent? No… not resent, there is something else, something more complex. Something about human girls…"

Mewtwo sighed, "My sister: Ambertwo. I was born in a laboratory to be Team Rocket's ultimate Pokémon weapon, but all of that was cover so a scientist could clone his daughter. In the process, five clones were created: Ambertwo, Bulbasaurtwo, Charmandertwo, Squirtletwo, and me. All of us had a two suffix because we were supposed to be improvements over the original. In the end I was the only one to survive the improvements. For some reason I kept a copy of the others' memories and genetic code. Years later I had a chance to clone a Venusaur, Blastoise and Ash's Charizard and imprint them with the genetic code and memories of my siblings. Ambertwo is still trapped in my mind."

"Is she aware?"

"Occasionally I interact with her in my dreams."

"Could you make a clone for Ambertwo?" I asked.

"I haven't found a human female strong enough to clone."

"What about me?" I offered.

"Your abilities and condition are the results of years of training, without that training I doubt that your body could survive the strain."

"You offered your body to Mewtwo and got shot down," whispered Yuki who wasn't completely asleep.

I glared at her.

"Mewtwo, I can't offer my students as lab subjects for experiments, but if you want to interact with them or us," I gestured to Yuki, "To provide some little girl activities."

I couldn't tell what was more awkward: the way I felt, or the looks that Yuki and Mewtwo gave me.

"What would you know about little girl activities?" demanded Yuki.

"I don't think that would be helpful," commented Mewtwo.

"Sabrina has developed a technique of dream manipulation," offered Chief. "You could create a world for Ambertwo in your mind based upon your observations of this world."

"But she wouldn't be free," argued Mewtwo. "She would just be transferred from a glass tank to a portion of my mind. Thank you but I believe that one day a human female would be strong enough for me to clone and download Ambertwo."

I blurted out, "Ash and Misty? Is she pregnant? Have you modified the baby?"

"Despite my origins, I have no intention of experimenting on humans. Plus I believe that Ash has certain characteristics that if passed on could yield a human strong enough to be Ambertwo's host."

"There is speculation that he has had his genetic code mixed with his Pikachu," I recalled.

Yuki tried to curb Mewtwo's ambition, "This all assumes that Ash and Misty have children, one of them is a girl and that they would permit you to clone her."

"The probability of success is low, but for the time being, it is the only 'hope' that I have."

Mewtwo went quiet and morose, while Yuki was conflicted with guilt and suspicion.

Chief touched me with his tail so he could privately share his thoughts, "I'm out of my depth with this clone concept."

"Everyone is, because Mewtwo is the first. So he has no one to seek for support, other than his siblings."

"Do you think that your grandmother is aware of Mewtwo's emotional needs?"

"Not if she's flirting with him. I better send her a text. Keep Mewtwo from scanning me, I don't want to make things worse." I sent a text to grandmother that Mewtwo needs her to act like a grandmother.

"Why?" she texted back.

"It's really sad and personal," I replied.

"I'm not baking cookies ;)"

I returned my attention to Mewtwo and asked, "Is that why some of your topiary have a little girl theme?"

Mewtwo blinked as he thought. "I never really explored why I enjoyed bonsai. Perhaps my interest is influenced by her."

The miles dragged on and everyone kept to their own thoughts.

Pallet Town; we made it here without incident. I had almost hoped for a Team Rocket attack to break the growing tension. Ivan drove us to the front door. Both Professor Oaks were waiting for us.

"Welcome…?" Sam Oak was looking from one Mewtwo to the other to find any difference.

"Professor Oak, may I present you Mewtwo and Chief?" To Sam's unasked question, "It's a psychic thing."

We were shown inside as Gary explained, "When a Pokédex is used to scan a Pokémon it takes a position reading and a photograph. In the case of Mewtwo the Pokédex is programmed to reply that you are an unknown Pokémon. This is both to protect you and the user of the Pokédex. The image and position reading is sent to our secured computers just in case we need to track you down."

"In case you were injured," added Sam.

"Or I turned on the humans?" asked Mewtwo.

"You did once," admitted Sam. "I put my faith in Ash who assured me that you wouldn't do that again. If you did, then I needed this system to help Ash stop you."

"How could he stop me?"

"Because he can reason with you. I'll admit that reason isn't the best word for Ash. How about that he can reach you?"

Mewtwo's mind raced through his encounters with Ash and nodded.

"Since I assumed that you were unique, I never considered that this program would be used to track a second Mewtwo."

"Third," I corrected.

Gary countered with, "He means that the program wasn't designed to track more than one Mewtwo. The program can't distinguish between Mewtwo. We adapted the tracking program from a more powerful tracking program that can identify hundreds of distinct Pokémon of the same species. The purpose of which was to reunite lost Pokémon with their trainers and to study migration patterns of wild Pokémon."

"Why have a different program?" asked Yuki.

"The smaller program is easier to defend from cyber attacks," replied Gary as he prepared a light fixture and camera. "Because the smaller program never recorded the genetic code of Mewtwo, the only means of determining which image is from which Mewtwo is to do a spectrum analysis of both of you and correlate that with the recorded images."

Chief mentally asked me, "What's going on?"

"The men in the white coats are going to shine lights on you and Mewtwo to see if you don't look the same."

"What?"

"I don't understand it myself," I confessed.

The Oaks fritted away with their cameras, lights and computers. The minutes dragged on. When the second hour ticked by, I got annoyed.

"How much of what you are doing is to help find a lost Mewtwo, and how much is 'research'?" I demanded.

There was a twinge of guilt, followed by a lowering of enthusiasm is Sam Oak's mind.

Gary was going to say something, but I cut him off, "Don't try to lie to a psychic."

"We've determined the image log contains either Mewtwo or Chief in all but seven cases," admitted Sam.

"Does that mean that you have seven cases of our third Mewtwo?" asked.

Chief perked up as Yuki provided a translation.

"It means we can't identify the seven images as either Mewtwo. In each case certain wavelengths of the light spectrum were missing because the light was artificial," commented Gary.

"If it's just seven images, why don't you show them and ask if Mewtwo or Chief recognizes anything?"

The reason that it didn't occur to them is that they rarely ask a Pokémon direct questions.

Gary shrugged at my suggestion and displayed an image on the widescreen monitor.

"That's from a Pokémon Contest in Potato Valley," I remarked. "That's me in the nurse uniform."

"Why were you in a nurse uniform?" asked Yuki.

"It was the only disguise I could get from Nurse Joy," I remarked.

Gary sighed and asked, "Which Mewtwo was it?"

"Chief."

When the next image was displayed, I said, "That's the crash scene of Hunter J's carrier in Sinnoh. Chief is standing behind my Pokémon."

Chief identified the third image was of him and Meowth after stopping Hunter J. The fourth image was from a Pokémon Center, but Chief recognized the child in the background.

The fifth image was of Mewtwo shopping for a bonsai pot.

The sixth image was from Team Rocket's helicopter as it was chasing us.

The seventh image was a blur.

"I recognize that one," joked Yuki.

"This one has to be a Pokédex malfunction because it recognized all known Pokémon at once," grumped Gary.

"That's it?" I asked.

"I can say with a 99.9% certainty that every recorded encounter with a Mewtwo is with a Mewtwo in this room. There is no sighting of a third Mewtwo," declared Gary tactlessly.

Chief didn't have to understand Gary to know that the news wasn't good. All Yuki and I could do was hold him.


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Author's notes: Sorry for the wait. The title of this chapter "Stuck" reflects that I've been stuck for months as I tried to make a decent bridge from the published stories to later chapters that I haven't written.

Sabrina's Journal

Stuck

I had promised Chief, a Mewtwo from another dimension, that I would help him find his lost mate. But with the help of Professor Oak we learned that Chief's mate wasn't on this world. After that disappointment we climbed into the van and had Ivan drive us back to Saffron City. Mewtwo decided to leave for home on his own.

On the ride back, Chief tried to distract himself with sketching, but the disappointment was overwhelming. I felt guilty for trying to shield myself from his pain. I barely noticed the passing of time, the miles or that Ivan dropped Yuki off at a department store.

Ivan drove the van to Saffron Tower where we saw the large hole that was Stanley's lab covered by tarps. I checked in with tower security and found that the engineers declared the building safe for occupancy. So we entered the building via the basement garage and took the elevator to my apartment.

"Welcome home!" shouted Yuki as she opened the door for us.

Beyond Yuki were the greetings of all of our Pokémon and my parents.

"Yuki?"

Ralts teleported onto Chief's head while Eevee tackled his tail.

"You've had plenty of time to mope; now come inside and have something to eat," ordered Yuki.

Chief carried in his little charges and I followed. "When did you plan all of this?" I asked Yuki.

"Who needs to plan a party? Besides I told Ivan to drive you home slowly, so I had plenty of time to call your parents and use the warp tile to get here. I even bought presents."

"Presents?"

"A party is better if there are presents," announced Yuki. "Actually this party exists because I stopped to buy some presents and then decided to have a party; so I must thank Sabrina's parents for coming over on such short notice." Yuki gave a little bow to my parents. "Shopping for presents sometimes is easy, but in the case of Chief and Sabrina well… how do you shop for a Pokémon who can do anything and a woman that has everything?"

"You get them things to smash!" offered Eevee.

"That wasn't a question to be answered," scolded Espeon.

"But…"

Yuki gestured towards Eevee and continued, "In the case of Sabrina, something to smash is usually the best gift idea, but I had an idea for something better." Yuki handed me a large, gift wrapped parcel. "A little snippet of a story was brought to my attention, so I had to buy you this."

I took the parcel, untied the ribbon and opened the wrapping paper. Inside was an assembly of white and pink cloth that turned out to be a nurse's uniform. I put the cap on my head and held the dress in front of me.

"Yuki … is this some prelude towards blackmailing my daughter?" asked my mom.

"I hope not, because that'll cut into my paycheck. When Sabrina first met Chief, she was disguised as Nurse Joy. I am hoping that her choice of disguise was an expression of the real Sabrina deep inside that wants to get out: caring, cheerful, patient, bubbly and eternally optimistic."

My father snorted. Mother snickered. The elder Pokémon were the first to laugh, the little ones laughed because the older ones did. Chief and I couldn't help but laugh. "That's not fair Yuki: putting me in a room full of laughing psychics."

"Democracy in action," retorted Yuki. "As for Chief, there was one thing that I knew he could use…" Yuki handed Chief a wrapped parcel. Chief was momentarily puzzled as he examined the delicate paper of the wrapping but noticed that the parcel rattled.

I suggestively tugged at the ribbon. Chief recalled how my gift was wrapped, so he decoded and undid the bow and knot of the ribbon. The cellophane taped caught his imagination for a few seconds, but the little Pokémon in the room just wanted to rip though the paper, Chief hurried along to find a 128 count pack of colored pencils.

"If you can't find the color in there that you want, you can blend the colors together. That should keep you busy," offered Yuki.

"Thank you very much," thought Chief as his mind was lost in the possibilities of color.

"Sabrina…," hinted my mother.

"Yes, thank you Yuki for my present. I'll find a way to make you regret it," I threatened.

"Draw me Uncle Mewtwo," insisted Eevee.

"You move around too much," teased Chief. "I'm going to start off with…Gastly because she's one color and posing nicely."

"Aw…"

"Then, we'll see." Chief set about sketching the little ones and everyone else.

Father handed me a cup of sake. "Is this from Grandmother?" I asked.

"It's from her store," he offered.

I sipped the sake and gave a little cough. It was the premium stuff, but still too strong for my habits.

"Did Grandma ever give you some really nasty sake?" I tried to recall the nasty flavor from yesterday.

"She told me it was cold medicine," recalled my father. "Anytime that I pretended to be sick she gave me that pretend medicine."

"I bet you didn't pretend to be sick all that often."

"That was the intention, but another possibility was that I was really good at drinking games in college," joked my father.

"Which was it?"

"I'm not telling."

"Mom?" I called out.

The doorbell rang.

"I got it," announced Yuki as she ran down to the warp tile door. A minute later she escorted in Master Kiyo and his Pokémon: Hitmonchan, Hitmonlee and Lucario.

"So if I don't agree to have a good time, you're going to have these Pokémon beat me up?"

Yuki looked from me to Kiyo's Pokémon and said, "Good idea; glad you thought of that. Alakazam, would you mind showing these Pokémon around?"

That was a scene of mixed emotions as my Alakazam led off three, buffed Fighting Pokémon. I wondered which one she had a crush on that time.

"Hey boss, I heard that there was another party with free booze," teased Zoey.

"Yuki's idea," I replied.

"Figures; you don't seem like the party person. It must be really loud in your head."

"That's why Yuki did this, so I don't have a chance to think. I didn't think that you were a drinker."

"I like a nice glass of wine or a bottle of good sake occasionally. I just don't like drunks."

"Well, I'll drink to that," I joked as I clinked my cup against her wine glass.

Zoey whispered, "What's the real reason for the party?"

"We saw Prof. Oak this morning, there is no sign of Chief's missing mate."

"So you get to keep him?"

"It's way more complicated than that."

"Love is," replied Zoey with a wink.

Love is very complicated. I watched as Chief was sketching away at the coffee table. Gastly, Eevee and Ralts were mesmerized to the point that Eevee was actually sitting still for at least a minute. I walked up. Chief turned the page of his notebook and quickly sketched me in my Nurse disguise.

"That's not Sabrina," argued Gastly, "she's smiling."

Chief stared into Gastly's eyes as he touched her face. Chief turned and did the same to Eevee and Ralts, and then gave me a wicked grin. He turned the page of his notebook and redrew me as Nurse Joy. This time my smile was evil and I had the largest hypodermic needle in the world.

The trio declared, "That's Sabrina!"

Chief carefully tore out the page and handed it to Gastly, who then chased the other two with it.

"Don't I have any allies in this house?" I asked as I handed him my drink.

He sipped and coughed more than I did.

"Poison?" he asked.

"Sake, alcohol; a drink made by fermenting the sugars found in rice or fruit."

"Humans drink spoiled food," noted Chief. "Is there a shortage of good drink?"

"If Yuki is spending my money, there probably won't be," I joked.

"Chief," interrupted Yuki, "Now that the little ones have run off, could you make me a sketch of Solrock and Lunatone? Sabrina, could you give Kiyo a little attention; I think that he's about to hide in the corner and talk to a potted plant."

"I better stop him before he talks to one of Gengar's ruder creations," I replied. Kiyo was indeed examining a bonsai, but it wasn't, as far as I could tell, rude in any way.

"This is a wonderful piece, how old is it?" asked Kiyo.

I looked at the specimen that flowed out of its pot and almost reached the floor. "To be honest, I couldn't even tell you how long it's been in my apartment. I think it's one of Gengar's."

"It looks like it's hundreds of years old," argued Kiyo.

"Live in the same apartment with Gengar and you too would feel a hundred years older. Most of his stuff is outside," I offered.

I led Master Kiyo outside to the garden. He looked about the topiary and bonsai, but when he noticed the skyline he was shocked.

"What's the matter, you don't like heights?"

"Where are we?"

"Saffron Tower."

"You have a penthouse apartment on the tallest building in Saffron City?"

"While you were exploring caves, I went to business school and made some money."

"'Some'?"

"Do you expect the heir to the Daimyo of Saffron City to settle for a nail salon?"

"No milady." Kiyo was about to bow, but I psychically held him back.

"Can you keep a secret?"

Kiyo desperately tried to focus on bonsai as he nodded.

"I own Saffron Tower. Let me bring out Gengar, I'm sure he'd love to talk about plants." I went back in, grabbed a jacket and motioned for Gengar to follow me outside. "Okay Gengar, you've got a fan and potential client here, start talking plants and I'll interpret."

I lost track of time as Gengar and Kiyo discussed plants and a possible commission. Since I didn't much know, or care about bonsai, I didn't bother to remember what was going on.

"Sabrina?" asked Kiyo as he waved his hand before my eyes.

"Something's happening inside. Please excuse me," I blurted. After I got my bearings in the garden, I dashed inside. I found Chief concentrating on a spoon that twisted in his hands. Next to him was an Alakazam with no spoons. The Alakazam was Uncle Bob, one of the three guardians of Cerulean Cave. Chief's face was a mixture of concentration, concern and then surprise. "What is it?" I asked after I got close.

"My teams of dungeon explorers use encoded spoons for communication. Somehow … Alakazam's spoon caught the transmission. He tells me that there may be is a path for me to follow this signal to the source."

Chief returned the spoon and packed his bag with pencils and sketchbook.

"Let's go check it out," I offered.

Uncle Bob for the first time shook his head, "no," to me.

"But…"

"He tells me that you can't go."

"He tells you? He's never said anything to me my whole life, not even a 'zam'; but he tells you everything? What is going on?"

"I don't know all the details, and I don't know why he is withholding information from you Sabrina. But these are the thoughts of my friends and there is a chance that I can go back to them and…"

"Kitten," I finished. I had to psychically hold back the tears. "Go. I made a promise that I'd help you find her, so I'm not going to hold you back. Go."

"Sabrina…?"

I looked at his packed bag and psychically cut a long lock of my hair. I offered it to him, "Don't forget me. Hurry."

Chief, a.k.a. Mewtwo, gave me a soft, awkward, fuzzy lipped kiss on my own lips that quivered as I held back the tears. I closed my eyes to focus on his kiss and deny myself that he eventually stopped kissing and was teleported away by Uncle Bob.

I withdrew into myself and projected the thought that Chief was still here making his sketches.

[Recording error: emotional overload.]

"Chief? Chief!?"

Yuki was shouting.

I stopped projecting.

"Sabrina, where's Chief? What happened to your hair?"

"He went home," I sobbed.

"When? How?"

"Uncle Bob came, gave Chief a spoon, Chief heard the thoughts of his friends and left," I answered as I choked down air.

"But…"

"They wouldn't tell me."

Yuki grabbed and hugged me close. "You must have been projecting an image of him for hours."

Through the tears I could see that the apartment was empty.

"I'm sorry," I sobbed.

"Why?"

"I messed everything up again! I'm so sorry!"

[Recording error: emotional overload]

[Recording error: out of range]

[Hello Sabrina, it has been 8 day(s) since your last entry, do you wish to update?]

"Why would I want to remember that you stupid…"

[Recording error: out of range]

[System error, possible damage. Request service call.]

[Error.]

[Power off.]

[Power on self test. Error report download.]

[Power off.]

[Power on. Hello Sabrina, it has been 9 day(s) since your last entry, do you wish to update?]

"Thank you Stanley for fixing it."

"It was easy," beamed Stanley. "Thank you for the new lab, it's way bigger than the old one."

"And the shelves are anchored to the floor and ceiling so hopefully nothing will fall on you."

Stanley turned in his chair, looked at the sturdy new shelves. Much of his inventory was still in shipping crates. "Is there anything else you want fixed or need invented?"

"I had maintenance patch the wall that I threw the Pokétch through, so I'm good for now. So I guess you, Spinda and Rotom can indulge yourselves for a while."

"Hooray!" cheered Rotom.

I left Stanley's lab and took the private elevator up. The elevator still smelled of fresh paint, and new carpet.

"Update," I thought. "Nine days since Chief left for home. I have to assume that he made it. I've tried to stay as busy as possible so as not to think about him. Sitting for a haircut at the stylist yesterday was hell since I didn't have internet access. Yuki took photos and teased, 'Sabrina's first haircut.'

"The conversion of Saffron Tower from a love hotel to a five star hotel has been around the clock for the last six days. Aside from hiding the more kinky furnishings, the remodel is very quick. I even have a surprise for Yuki.

"Yuki: she has been so good to me over the last two weeks. She covered for me at the gym when I was running around with Chief, and has tried really hard to teach me to be human. I actually help in the kitchen now and she trusts me with a knife to cut vegetables. But she does scold me if I concentrate too hard on making the slices exactly the same. I guess she fears that I'm going to snap and act like an Alakazam, or … Chief.

"If I could act like Alakazam… she's been dating Kiyo's Lucario. Dating for Pokémon in Saffron City; Alakazam was right, there really wasn't much opportunity for Pokémon to do so. Not that I had much idea of the setting needed for a date."

"All fixed?" asked Yuki as I walked into the apartment.

"Yup," I replied as I waved my Pokétch as I walked out to the garden. I looked over the side and down to former love hotel annex number five. The outside of the building was being stripped off to expose the inside. Annex Five was a twenty story office tower with an atrium that used up half of its footprint. I had the atrium filled in with large theme rooms/terrariums. Now the smaller love hotel rooms were being gutted and the terrariums are being consolidated and expanded. This was a financial risk: a love hotel/mall/onsen for Pokémon. I can't actually market it as a love hotel since ten year old trainers may be footing the bill for their Pokémon's stay, but there'll be little corners where Pokémon can sneak off to.

"Sabrina?" asked Yuki.

"I'm not going to jump or fly away," I replied as I continued to stare at the construction.

Yuki looked over the side and wonder, "Do they know that their boss is staring down at them?"

"If this side of the building gets finished first, then yes, they know," I joked.

"Are you okay?"

"You ask that a lot."

"That's because you've been loading your head with so much stuff I can't tell what is going on."

"I've been using the psychic dampers in Saffron Tower to listen to the thoughts of the construction crews."

"How often?"

"Whenever you're not in the same room," I answered.

"All three shifts?"

I nodded.

Yuki sighed.

"Yuki, I…"

"Don't apologize," scolded Yuki. "I'd rather that you kept yourself busy than feeling sorry all the time. Besides it's safer on the walls."

"When I'm mad, I bust a few walls in my house. When I keep myself busy, I start the two largest remodel projects in the city."

"Which is good for the economy," added Yuki as she returned to watching the work below. "Do you think that the Pokémon will get confused?"

"Because the subarctic terrarium is on the bottom and the tropical terrarium is on the top?"

"Exactly, Pokémon who were caught in the wild must have some understanding that it gets colder as you go up."

"I've only got twenty floors to work with, the architects tell me that putting the floors in the right order would triple the energy costs and I'll probably lose money on this project for a few years."

"You, lose money?"

"An indoor Pokémon resort has never been done on this scale before. All existing business models require a side venture such a resort for humans, or a small, family run business."

"Will this cut into my pay?"

"Yes and no."

"…Are you going to explain how?"

"Care to take a little trip?"

"Sure."

"It's by warp tile."

"Can't we take the van?"

"Nope."

Yuki sighed, "Okay."

We went inside my apartment and headed for the warp tile. Yuki grabbed my coat and followed me out the 'front door'.

"Let me warn you, this trip will probably make you more nauseous than usual."

Yuki frowned, handed me my coat and took an airsick bag from the little rack she had installed by the front door. She braced herself and said, "Okay."

[Run transit program: Yuki's gift.]

…

"What's happening?" asked Yuki after a minute of waiting.

I pointed to the monitor attached to the warp tile and to the series of red, green and yellow lights. "This is a relay warp across seven tile zones. I've put so much capital towards remodeling Saffron Tower and Annex Five that the warp tile connection is going to be a little slow."

"Is it safe?"

"Yes. Oh good, we've got six greens and now a seventh. Hold on to your lunch."

Warp tile travel isn't bumpy but you can get a sense of turbulence as the system compensates for altitude, longitude and latitude changes. Yuki to her credit held on to her lunch. Once her eyes adjusted to sunlight, Yuki dropped her bag and her jaw.

"Where are we?" she stammered as she looked out all of the windows.

"You're in the lamp room of an abandoned lighthouse," I explained.

"That makes sense, but why does that island and lagoon look familiar?"

"It's Bird Island."

"You're the one that bought this island? When I heard news from home that someone bought Bird Island, I didn't think that it was you."

"Why not?"

"Because the news was all bad about an evil corporation buying this Pokémon sanctuary so they could put in mega hotels."

"I'm not used to having to a P.R. department so I guess my silence made things worse." I opened the glass door and led Yuki out to the walkway. "For the record, this isn't a Pokémon sanctuary, it's a dump. To be more accurate, Bird Island is an abandoned guano mine. Other than sea birds the only other Pokémon are the Sandshrew that were left behind."

"Sandshrew?" asked Yuki as she looked to scrubby growth on the hillsides.

"Bird Island is a collapsed volcano that was the dumping ground for Wingull for thousands of years. Two centuries ago, humans discovered the value of guano and mined this island. The guano was almost used up by the time chemists found easier ways to make fertilizer and gunpowder so an industry collapsed and the company that owned this island gave up. The humans left for new jobs, but some of the Pokémon workers were left behind. Fortunately what little soil was left was fertile enough to grow some food for the Sandshrew. Considering how much they worked in the last century to make a living here, this should be called, 'Sandshrew Island'."

"Have they met the new boss?"

I looked at Yuki who was waiting for an answer. "You mean me," I concluded. "Yes, I've met with the tribal leaders and offered to hire them and negotiated for parts to be developed for human occupation in exchange for expansion of their farms."

"Negotiate? Farms? Tribes?"

"This isn't a case of Pokémon going feral. The Sandshrew that were abandoned were at least the second generation of Pokémon born and raised on this island to mine guano for humans. From what little records I could find the Pokémon and humans developed a native islander/colonist relationship. The Pokémon mined the guano while the humans paid the Pokémon with food and protected the island from rival companies."

"There was some great diving in that lagoon," recalled Yuki.

"That's why I could negotiate with the Pokémon: humans would be more interested in the water and the Sandshrew avoid anything touched by salt water."

Because the island was hundreds of miles to the east of Saffron City, the sun was starting to set. Yuki gazed at the sky and asked, "How does this island involve me?"

"It's yours."

"What is?"

"The island."

"…"

"There's a contract back home making you a vice president in my 'evil corporation' as head of Bird Island/Sandshrew Island/whatever development. Your inventory is one island with contents and your staff includes all the Sandshrew you can hire. Unfortunately there is very little money in your budget."

"You're joking."

"Honest, with the new gym, rebuilding Marsh Castle and remodeling two towers I have almost no ready cash. I actually borrowed money from grandma to have the warp tile network set up."

"I mean you're joking about giving me an island."

"I've had to eliminate the pool from the new gym to transfer the funds to the Annex Five project, so I hope you'll be satisfied with a lagoon."

"You're not joking. This is my island?"

"I own it and owe money on it. You're in charge. Please come up with a plan that makes things better here."

"This is really my island," stated Yuki as she tried to convince herself this was real. "Can I go swimming?"

"I don't think that you'll need to fill out an environmental impact study for one swim," I teased.

Yuki was running down the stairs of the lighthouse before I could finish.

"Yuki!"

Yuki stopped as she left the lighthouse. "What?"

"You don't have a swimsuit."

Yuki pulled off her jacket, sweater and bra all in one go.

"Let me give you a lift before you upset the locals," I insisted as I lifted her psychically. Yuki kicked off her shoes and socks and stripped off her pants and panties. I launched her toward the lagoon.

"Wahoo!"

"Not so loud," I chided telepathically.

"I thought that this is my island," she mentally replied.

"Haven't you heard of tenant's rights?"

Instead of responding, Yuki enjoyed flying through the warm tropical breeze and diving into the sapphire blue lagoon.

Yuki floated on her back, watched the sunset and thought, "I wish I had my snorkel and fins."

"Aren't Sharpedo most active at this time of day?"

"Are you being paranoid of Dark types, again?"

"Yes."

"Is that why you're staying up there and not joining me for a swim?"

"Actually I'm trying to find your shoes in the dark. I've put most of your clothes in the lighthouse, but I'm missing a sock and shoe." I undressed and put my clothes in a pile separate from Yuki's.

"It'll be there in the morning," insisted Yuki as she focused on the emerging stars.

I closed the lighthouse and flew down to the lagoon. "Probably not."

"Whatever. I get a lagoon and part of an island for the cost of a shoe and sock, I'm way ahead in this deal."

I touched down on the sand and walked towards the water.

"Whoa there!"

"What?"

"The Sandshrew may make the rules in the jungle, but the coral make their own rules. If you walk into the water, you'll cut your feet to pieces. You've got to start swimming where there's still sand and not wade in."

"I'll just lie on the sand," I replied and did. The black sand was still warm from the tropical sun and the dampness of a Saffron City winter evaporated from my bones.

"My own island," mused Yuki.

"Actually, it's my island; you're in charge."

"What's the catch?"

"The cost of a trip here through the warp tile is more than you make in a year."

"But I have some budget, don't I?"

"Not enough to come and go as you please. Getting an island is easy, but making money isn't."

"Why does it have to make money?"

"Because I put a lot of money into the warp tiles and the buildings to house them and if I can't make money, then I'll lose money. After a while the money will be gone."

"Can we have the island to ourselves for today?"

"I really need a plan in place by the time Saffron Hotel is ready. How many people can we bring to the island and at what price? Do we provide a place to sleep, staff, caretakers, etc?"

"I just want to watch the stars and swim." Yuki's mind focused on the stars and constellations. I could tell that she had deeper thoughts, but I didn't pry. "How long did you plan on buying an island?"

"Since our trip to Reef Island. I like the idea of just teleporting off for some sun and sand."

"Couldn't you just buy Reef Island?"

"I wanted to connect to the warp tile system, which is much trickier than the Poké Ball Transfer System." I visualized the repeater systems that were installed at two ski resorts.

"Does that mean we can go skiing?"

"Do you ski?" I asked.

"No, but it'd be fun to watch you try."

"I'd cheat."

Yuki sighed as she thought, "I know." Yuki made a few splashes as she changed direction. "What's the real reason you bought this island? Why put me in charge? I don't have any business skills."

"I thought that you'd really like to have your own island."

"But you didn't have to put in a warp tile network and make me a vice-president."

The best answer I had was, "I…I don't want to be lonely. When I'm with you, Jean or Zoey, I still feel like I'm apart and alien from you."

"You're a princess, gym leader, our boss, zillionaire and maybe the most powerful human psychic in the world," listed Yuki.

"So … which one makes you uncomfortable?"

Yuki's mind shut down and did a restart. "I don't know. I mean since you're the gym leader and our boss, the three of us are supposed to show you respect and I guess that maybe puts a kink in our friendship. We're supposed to look up to you and then you open up and show that you're more emotionally fragile than we are."

"If a boss could do everything, then she wouldn't need to hire people."

"Does that mean we can ask for a raise?"

"You won't like the answer," I warned.

"How bad can 'no' be?"

"I'd make you in charge of the gym's bookkeeping. If you can find the money, you can have a raise. What about me being rich and a powerful psychic?"

"I came to the gym because you were a powerful psychic," recalled Yuki. "I thought that your drive would inspire me to be better and be my own person."

"You hardly ever use your Yuri persona," I noted. "How did your students react?"

"I made it part of the lesson: I explained psychic camouflage, gave some basic exercises and then explained how to see through the disguise. Their challenge was to find my secret.

"Isn't being rich just another scorecard for you? You're like your own trainer trying to get her Pokémon to the next level, the next move, the next tournament… How do you do it?"

"Didn't you do the same thing when you started your Pokémon journey?"

"I was ten."

"I've been this driven since I was four," I admitted. "It's like there is something in my head that drives me to be more."

"The beast?" asked Yuki.

"Maybe it's that part of me that feels alienated or maybe it surfaces to alienate others," I pondered.

"If it wasn't you talking about your subconscious as a separate person, I'd recommend professional help."

"But in my case, I am the professional and my subconscious has enough psychic power to be its own person. Does that bother you?"

"Well… the beast is better in bed than you are," teased Yuki.

I replied by saying, "Roar."

"Sabrina?"

"Yes," I replied as I braced myself.

"How did Chief feel about you?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "I felt like we had a lot in common: we each had our own beasts inside."

"But why were you more comfortable around him than us?"

"Because I could pretend and lie to myself. It's like when you wear those purple jeans."

"What about my lucky jeans?"

"They make your butt look big."

"It's supposed to shape and accent my hips."

"Yuki, you've got the fine lines and sculpted body that only years of swimming and surfing could achieve. Your jeans squish around what little body fat you have and park it in the rear."

"You said it made my ass look sexy."

"Your psychic camouflage made your ass look sexy. Your jeans make your ass look fat."

"Okay, how did talking about Chief lead to this colossal revelation about my wardrobe?"

"You wore the jeans because you thought it made you look sexy and because you couldn't read my mind, you believed it. I thought that Chief thought that I was sexy and because I couldn't read his mind, I believed it."

"So why don't you feel that way about me? I mean you'd prefer someone that can lie to you?"

"Don't we all want to believe the little lies? Why do people buy lottery tickets? Why are the Electabuzz fans so supportive for a team that hasn't won the championship in decades?"

"There is a theory that Goldenrod City residents are just insane," joked Yuki.

"I guess that applies to me: I'm a little bit crazy."

"How do you define, 'a little bit'?"

"Given our observation of my competitive nature, if I could find a measure of my craziness then would I be driven to lower or raise my crazy level?"

"I don't think that I'd want to see you go to either dull or flat out nuts." Yuki splashed a bit as she worked up to ask her next question. "You still miss him?"

"There are moments when I want to grab Uncle Bob and demand that he send me after Chief, but then I imagine the rift it would place between us and the hundreds of other consequences. At that point I tune the dampers and listen to all the troubles of the construction crews."

"Do you want to go home?" offered Yuki.

"I want things to be alright. I want the pain to stop."

"What can I do?" asked Yuki.

"You've done so much."

"Sabrina…," mentally growled Yuki as I started to feel sorry for myself.

"Think about islands. Think about surfing, sailing, swimming, diving, doing something with sand, whatever you can do on an island."

"Should we bring in some Pokémon experts to document the Sandshrew's … culture?"

"Who's the expert for this region?"

"It should be Prof. Birch. Since he loves field work he'd be here in a heartbeat."

"He can teleport?" I asked.

"No, you know what I mean."

"Only because I can read your mind. Unless I help, or he has his own plane, it'll take him about two days to get here."

"He could give the Pokémon a checkup and his word would help people realize that this island isn't paradise. But it is."

"Only because it's yours, right?"

"That's right," cooed Yuki as she blissfully floated in the lagoon.

I tried to focus on that bliss which felt so much like flying. Flying, I was flying through the clouds at high speed in Chief's arms. I felt his soft, furry lips on mine. I opened my eyes and felt Yuki's mind.

She jerked back. "What's the matter?"

"The dreams, I can't get him out of my mind."

"We should go home," offered Yuki.

"I'm sorry."

"What little food and water that is on this island belongs to the Sandshrew. Besides, I want my fins, goggles, surfboard and toilet paper."

[Activate warptile: home]

I took Yuki by the hand and flew us back to the lighthouse. Yuki did her best to distract me by thinking of diving. We gathered our clothes and waited for the path to open. When we arrived at my front door, Yuki scrambled for the 'warp sick bags', but didn't need it.

Once inside, Yuki headed for the bathroom. I put on a bathrobe and sat in the kitchen while I conducted business via my Pokétch.

Gengar popped up on the other side of the counter. He offered me a bottle of sake.

"The usual," I replied. I turned my attention to the budget numbers.

"What do you usually have?" asked Gengar.

"Tea," I answered.

"Where's the fun in that?"

"I can't focus on fun and I don't want to focus on pain, so let me focus on business," I half pleaded.

Gengar put some tea powder in my favorite cup, topped it up with hot water and placed it next to the monitor. I reached for the cup and caught a reflection of the couch in the toaster. For a moment I saw Chief sitting there with the little ones as he sketched. I psychically gripped the toaster. I hesitated as I considered how to vent my anger on an innocent appliance. In the end I just shifted it so it reflected the moonlight.

Eventually Yuki came out of the bath. She came up from behind and massaged my bare neck. "Are you working on another surprise?"

"I'm trying to avoid the surprise of foreclosure," I replied.

"It can't be that bad."

"You right, it isn't. You have your own work to do, Miss Vice-President. If you can get Prof. Birch to help, he can access the warp tile network from the Yoshida's in Slateport City."

"Are you going to bed? Or at least take a bath?"

"You're the one who needs to get some sleep."

"And you?"

I adjusted the mental dampers. I was surrounded by hundreds of thoughts of carpets, paint, wallpaper, wiring, phone systems, plumbing…

I barely noticed that Yuki gave me a kiss on the neck before she left. I adjusted the toaster so I could see Yuki's reflection as she walked away. I turned the toaster to look at the sofa one more time, before I buried my thoughts under a tower's worth of remodeling.


	31. Chapter 31

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Sabrina's Journal

Chapter 31

Shattered

It was going to be one of those dreary Saffron City winter days. I was up before dawn, drinking tea as I read my way through business reports. Thankfully there was good news: reservations for the Christmas Lover's Package were higher than initial projections. Saffron Hotel's grand opening wasn't for another month, but the introductory package of dinner and a room with a view for the evening had sold out. The accountants didn't realize that my other business ventures included most love hotels of the city and the remodel forced customers to choose the same hotel under a new name.

When I allowed myself a little laugh, Yuki asked, "What's so funny?"

"If I don't take the business of running love hotels too seriously, it can be rather funny."

Yuki sarcastically announced, "Uh oh, Sabrina is working on her sense of humor. Did you make a commercial about a white Christmas (Spurt, spurt)?"

"And where would I show such a commercial?"

"Coming to a theater near you," quipped Yuki.

"Well, whether they want to be naughty or nice, reservations are sold out which keeps me in the black for the next month."

"Black what?"

"Black ink, as in not in debt," I explained.

"Oh," replied Yuki with disappointment in her voice. "I thought you were hinting at black silk lingerie, black latex, black leather… something like that."

My stomach turned as I realized that I forgot to get something for Yuki for Christmas.

Yuki countered my lost expression with a twinkle in her eye. "Since you feel guilty, you have no choice but to accept the present I bought you: two nights in a ryokan."

"When?"

"Right now; go get dressed," ordered Yuki as she shooed me along to the bedroom. "I already packed a bag for you and it's waiting by the front door. We're going to snow country, so dress warm."

"Are you going to make me try skiing?" I thought as I layered on the warm clothes.

"I haven't decided," replied Yuki as a threat. "When you said the new warp tile chain to Sandshrew Island passed through a ski resort, I decided to check out the neighborhood and found this romantic little ryokan with great views."

When I emerged from the bedroom Yuki said, "You look like a Wigglytuff."

I was so insulated that my arms barely moved. "I don't like being cold," I mumbled through a scarf.

"Don't be such a baby," insisted Yuki as she dragged me to the warp tile.

"Babies of Mossdeep get to play naked in the ocean because it's warm," I observed.

"Hurry up before warp traffic gets bad."

Seconds after leaving through the front door, we were warped to a ski resort I bought for its location. It was cheap because its location wasn't the best for skiing, but it was in line with Saffron City and Sandshrew Island.

"The resort didn't have a ryokan attached to it," I thought.

"I asked around," replied Yuki as she led us out the front door of the ski lodge and to a waiting van. The driver put our bags in back and helped us to our seats. "Actually the ski lodge is within driving distance for several ryokans. I made some proposals to unify the ryokans and link their reservation systems to the ski lodge."

"I'd nod my head in approval, but I can't move in this snowsuit."

"The driver has the heat on full," commented Yuki.

"I'm so insulated that I can't feel the heat either."

"You've spent most of your life insulated and isolated," teased Yuki as she poked me in the side. "With ski resorts, a tropical island, Saffron Tower and ryokans, do you think if anyone would notice that you also have love hotels?"

"I've moved some love hotels to the main hotel group, after some remodeling. Others are for people who don't want questions asked and will probably stay that way." As I looked out the window I noted, "There's not much snow on the ground."

"That's why your ski resort was a bargain. This place doesn't get any decent snow till mid-January."

"There's snow over there."

"Which is why the ski resorts on that mountain do great business while the one on this mountain struggles. Something about the weather patterns causes the clouds to drop all of their snow on the other mountain and leaves little for this one."

The van stopped at the ryokan and our bags were brought inside. The owner greeted us in the main room. Behind the owner was a large picture window that showed some sculpted pine trees framing a perfect view of a snow covered mountain.

I was speechless as I tried to absorb every detail of that view. Finally I asked, "Do all of the rooms have this view?"

"All of the guest rooms have a view as well as the two baths," replied the owner as she motioned for us to follow her. We were led to a ten tatami room. The porter put our bags away while the owner showed off the view beyond a sliding glass door. "You also get a private bath on the balcony."

Once orientated with the room, we were left alone. "Merry Christmas, Sabrina."

I felt guilty again.

"Since you bought me an island, I had to get you something," insisted Yuki.

I cautiously peeled off a layer of clothes. "You bought a ryokan?"

"I don't have your money and you didn't give me much of a budget. Thankfully the owner gave me a discount. Enough business, I'm going to soak in that tub until lunch, care to join me?"

We changed into yukatas. "One more thing: take off your Pokétch," ordered Yuki.

"But…"

"This is a day off and the Saffron Empire can function without you for one day."

[Sleep mode: on]

…

[Sleep mode: off]

Update: "This has been one of the most relaxing days I've ever spent. I got lost in the views of the mountains and the lunch that was brought to the room was exquisite."

"Sabrina, are you using your Pokétch to do work?"

"No, I'm just updating my journal to record what a great day this has been."

"You promise that you're not making hostile takeovers."

I walked out onto the balcony.

[Camera mode: on]

"Smile."

"Sabrina!" scolded Yuki.

I dropped my yukata and joined Yuki in the tub. I aimed the Pokétch camera at the mountain to photograph it during sunset. "Doesn't everyone in Mossdeep know what you look like naked?"

"That was when I was a little kid."

"Well I'm not going to post this on the internet or anything. I'd just like to remember what a great present this was."

[Priority message from Saffron Gym]

[Priority message from Grandma Lilith]

"Sabrina…"

I played the voicemails. The first was from Grandma, "Sabrina, I've got a business meeting in Unova, could you deal with Misty for me?"

The other message was from Jean at the gym, "Sabrina is your Pokétch working? Misty from the Cerulean gym has called here for you several times but you don't answer."

"What's going on?" sighed Yuki.

"Misty is having some sort of crisis and wants to involve me."

"What sort of crisis?"

"I don't know, her messages are somewhere in the stack. I better call her and tell her to leave my friends and family alone."

I placed to call and got an earful, "Sabrina, your Pokémon have gone too far this time!"

"Misty, are you referring to the Pokémon that live in my home and gym, or are you referring to a trio of Alakazams that I have no control over what so ever?"

"You're the psychic!"

"And that ability doesn't work over a telephone signal. Before this argument continues, please explain what is going on."

"Your Alakazams have put a man into a coma."

"Where is this man now?"

"In Cerulean General Hospital."

"Is he in critical condition?"

"He's in a coma!"

"So he probably won't mind if I try to enjoy what's left of my romantic Christmas getaway," I replied and ended the call.

"Sabrina…"

"I missed the sunset," I sighed.

"You should go."

"If I stay, I'll feel guilty and selfish. If I go, I'll feel guilty. No matter what I do, Misty thinks that I'm guilty."

"Do you two have some history?"

"I turned her into a doll, as in I literally shrunk her to this size and made her plush. That girl can sure hold a grudge."

"We should go."

"No. We should have dinner and I'll go. You should stay and enjoy yourself. Maybe I can fix this tonight and comeback for breakfast."

"You're going to fix a coma patient overnight?"

"If I do, then I'm going to need to rest tomorrow."

There was a knock on the door, followed by the ryokan staff setting the table with dinner. We waited for them to leave before exiting the tub. The cold mountain air made our wet, naked skin tingle. We dried off inside and sat down to eat. I would have enjoyed the food more if not for the bitterness I felt towards Misty for ruining my evening.

After a quiet dinner, I dressed in half the layers that I wore when I got here.

"Should I ask the owner for a ride to the lodge," asked Yuki.

"No, I'll take the express route," I replied as I charted a teleport path to the Cerulean Gym via the Poke Ball Transfer Network. "Merry Christmas."

"Before you go, put this on and tap the side of your nose." Yuki handed me a red and white fuzzy cap. "You can have the rest of the costume when you come back."

I did as she asked and then teleported away.

I emerged in a darkened room. My Pokétch confirmed that I was in the Cerulean Gym, so I mentally shouted, "I'M HERE! Where's the patient?" I used a little more force and broadcasted like Mewtwo does, "I AM HERE!"

There was a collection of vocal and mental replies to my announcement, including:

"Arrgh!"

"Sabrina!?"

"Psy yi yi?"

I felt my way out of the dark room and towards Misty's angry thoughts. "So I'm supposed to cancel my romantic evening and teleport from the Western Alps, but you couldn't be bothered to leave your gym and your husband's bed."

The lights came on in the hallway. At the other end was Misty. She was wearing Christmas themed lingerie that matched my hat. I felt a little more guilt towards Yuki, and a little more anger towards Misty.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

"Human hospitals don't have Poke Ball transfer machines; your gym does. Since this coma patient is so important to you, could you spare a few minutes from your very active sex life and drive me to the hospital?"

Misty's mind was filled with rage, so I tuned her out as she fumed, changed and led me to the gym's van. When Misty was more focused on the coma patient that led to this, she started with the accusations, "I knew that you and those Pokémon would go too far."

"Driving a minivan and scolding your passengers, you'll be a great mom someday," I replied. Before Misty could find a rebuttal, I asked, "Who is this coma patient and where is he being kept?"

"John Doe was found with no clothes, no identification and no memory: nothing. He's being held in the psych ward."

"'Held'?"

"Something to do with the police."

"If he was found by the guardian Pokémon then he was trespassing."

"That doesn't justify a coma!"

"If you trespass into a Beedrill's nest, expect to be stung. Trespass in an Ursaring's den and expect to be mauled. But trespass into a psychic's home and don't worry because they're not allowed to defend themselves. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to prepare myself." My preparations were to double my mental shielding and focus my awareness on myself. The smell of the minerals and touch of sulfur that remained on my skin from the hot tub helped me focus my mind on the image of the beautiful mountain.

…

"Sabrina, this is Dr. Glass," announced Misty which broke through a layer of my trance.

I was in an office.

"Miss Sabrina, I hope that you can help our John Doe. He was found outside of Cerulean Cave, wearing only a robe. We assume that he lost his memory because he has no understanding of language or his own identity."

"No language skills? I thought that he was in a coma?"

"It's an induced coma," confessed the doctor. He motioned for us to sit. "John Doe was found by Office Jenny. She thought that Mr. Doe was under the influence of hallucinogens, considering his lack of clothes. She subdued Mr. Doe and he was brought here for examination, which showed no hallucinogens, narcotics or even alcohol in his system. We couldn't tell what was wrong with him."

"I was notified that someone was arrested for trespassing. I knew that John Doe must have had his memory erased and told Dr. Glass," declared Misty.

"I've seen memory loss, amnesia and stroke victims, but I've never seen anything like John Doe. We examined him for injuries and basically found cuts and bruises from stumbling barefoot in a cave, but no sign of head trauma."

"But why the coma?" I asked.

"The sedatives weren't working so the induced coma was to prevent him from hurting himself as he fought against the restraints."

I took a deep breath and exhaled. "Please take me to the patient."

Misty got up as I did.

"Stay here," I ordered, "I've got enough negative thoughts to deal with, and I don't need yours as well."

Dr. Glass led me out of his office. "Is there a nicer place in this hospital for me to work?"

He looked about and saw everything to be clean and in order.

"Never mind."

We marched past a nurse's station that looked like a guard post and past some orderlies that looked like they had a stricter bedside manner than the nurses. Finally I entered the room of John Doe. He was strapped to the bed and motionless. I pulled a chair close to the bed and warned the doctor, "If something goes wrong, drag me out of here."

"I don't understand."

"I'm a psychic and I'm going to look around in John Doe's head."

"I thought you were going to use psychic Pokémon."

"Just pull me away if it all goes wrong."

"What does that mean?"

"I talk backwards, my head spins around or the room explodes… the usual."

I tuned out the doctor and focused my attention on John Doe. Carefully, I lowered my shields and looked for surface thoughts. I couldn't find any. I looked deeper for memories and found pain, confusion, fear, bright lights and darkness. I chose the bright lights and was knocked back by thousands of thoughts shouting at me at once.

"Sabrina! Miss Sabrina?!"

I couldn't see. No, I didn't remember how to see.

"Miss Sabrina? This is Dr. Glass. Can you hear me?"

I tried to nod, but I felt like I was being squeezed in the coils of an Arbok. I've never been squeezed by an Arbok; the pressure I felt was from large, human hands. The orderlies must be restraining me. I willed myself to be absolutely still and focused on my eyes. This morning I was staring at a mountain; a majestic triangle with a white top. Yes, white. White like the walls of a hospital and the uniforms of the staff.

"Dr. Glass, please stop shining that light in my eyes."

"What happened?"

"I was hoping that you would tell me," I replied. As my vision returned I noticed that I was sitting in the hall.

"You looked like you were having a seizure. I tried to drag you out of the room like you asked, but you flailed about, so I called the orderlies."

"I tried to access John Doe's memories, but I could only find the most primal of thoughts. No, find isn't correct. John Doe has a lifetime of thoughts and memories in his head, but it's as if the links are scrambled." I looked to where the orderlies gripped me and said, "Do you mind?"

Dr. Glass waved them back.

"There was a memory of a bright light that was connected to several feelings: a pain that gripped his full body like a Thunderwave, his arms and legs caught in a Bind, needles stabbing him in the arm…"

The doctor recounted, "Officer Jenny did use a taser on John Doe to subdue him. As you saw he was restrained and we did take blood samples as well as administer sedatives."

"Is there someplace quiet where I can meditate and sort out what I found?"

"There's a conference room that you can use."

I tried to stand, but stumbled. As rough as the orderlies were at first, this time they were gentle as they caught me and helped me walk.

"Miss Sabrina…?"

"I doubt there is anything physically wrong with me. For a moment I forgot how to walk. Earlier, I forgot how to see."

"I think I need to call in a neurologist."

I just nodded.

I had only five minutes of peace and quiet in the conference room, before Misty barged in and demanded answers, "What are you going to do?"

I sighed. "Misty, are you holding a grudge for what I did to you over a decade ago?"

"What? That has nothing to do with this!"

"So your total lack of concern for my health and sanity stems from what?"

"Why is this about me?" fumed Misty.

"I just get the feeling that you either want me dead or a vegetable."

"So it's okay for your Pokémon to mess with humans, but if you have to experience it then it's a major crime?"

"First, the guardian Pokémon are not my Pokémon. Second, I have no idea what they are guarding. Third, they won't tell me anything. Fourth, John Doe's injuries are probably not the work of psychic Pokémon."

"What other kind of Pokémon can erase a man's memories?"

"His memories are not erased, they're shattered. I've never witnessed any psychic Pokémon doing that before."

"But a psychic Pokémon could."

"But a psychic Pokémon wouldn't," I countered. "Once a mind is shattered like that, you can't communicate with it, thus you'd have no control or access to its memoires."

"Is there anything you can do?"

"If I knew who John Doe was, or what he did, then I could try to put some of his memories back together which should speed up the healing process. If the neurologist can find evidence of brain damage, then we may be able to identify the broken links and reroute them."

"So the Great and Powerful Sabrina is actually powerless."

"Does that please you?" I asked as I slumped in my chair.

As Misty sat down she said, "I don't know. Maybe I wanted you brought down a notch because your gym outranked mine. Maybe I was upset that you had these superhuman powers and I couldn't even control a Gyarados."

"So the reason you get so mad at me, is to bring me down to the level of what, Team Rocket?"

"I didn't mean that…"

"When you followed Ash on his Pokémon Journey, you must have witnessed events and Pokémon that were so powerful that they had to be kept secret. I know that Mewtwo is not above erasing someone's memory."

"He did that to us, once."

"Maybe Mewtwo has a vacation home in Cerulean Cave. Would you want Team Rocket and every poacher to march in there to catch him?"

"No."

"If Mewtwo erased someone's memories to protect himself, would he be justified? Consider the alternatives that a powerful Pokémon could take."

"I…I don't know anymore."

"I bet if some said they were attacked by a Gyarados, you'd be the first person to suspect that the humans provoked it."

"Is there anything you can do for John Doe?"

I closed my eyes. "If I make repairs to John's memories based on false assumptions, I could be changing his personality, his very identity. Personally, I would find that more offensive than erasing memories."

"Maybe John Doe was a bad person and those Alakazams shattered his mind to erase his personality."

"If John Doe was that bad of a person, then he'd have a criminal record and the police would have identified him by now. Missing person is more likely, but harder to track."

"So we wait?"

"We wait to repair the higher brain functions. I may be able to make some repairs on his motor skills."

"?"

I waved my hand at Misty and made her do the same to me. "Motor skills are very similar within a species. If John Doe had some physical control, then maybe he wouldn't need to be in a coma, or even sedated. His mind should try to heal itself, if he's awake."

Misty's mind was a swirl of thoughts and feelings. After an awkward pause, she asked, "Is there a risk to you?"

"I don't know if I can answer that," I replied. "Restoring basic motor functions could be time consuming. The danger lies in the rest of his mind."

"Can I help?"

"Thank you Misty. Don't you have a Starmie?"

"Yes."

"To put it bluntly: it doesn't feel pain the way we do."

Misty was about to be nasty.

I held up a hand and said, "Starmie has no bones, so it can't imagine the pain of a broken arm. Could you imagine the feeling of having a limb cut off and grow back?"

Misty shuddered, "I can imagine cuts."

"But the rest is an abstraction, the best we could do is relating it to teeth growing in or growth spurts."

"So my Starmie will be safe?"

"Your Starmie will be safer than me, and far safer than your Psyduck."

"He's getting better," argued Misty for a point of pride.

"We can talk Pokémon later…"

"Right." Misty hurried out the room.

It was a little past four in the morning, so I composed an email for Yuki, "I've got a John Doe case with a shattered mind and no identification. We're waiting on missing persons to identify him and a neurologist to scan his brain for damage. I'm sorry but I won't be there for breakfast. Merry Christmas. Love, Sabrina."

After a futile, "Ho, ho, ho," I pulled my fuzzy hat down over my eyes and forced myself asleep.

"Sabrina?"

I pulled the hat off my eyes and saw Misty and her Starmie. She had been gone for about an hour. "You didn't have to hurry," I yawned. "Let's go."

After navigating our way to the psych ward, and past the security of the nurses and orderlies, we arrived in John Doe's room. I gave a pair of disposable gloves to Misty.

"Starmie, would you come over here and join me?"

"What should I do?" asked Misty as she put on the gloves.

"Could you open and close Mr. Doe's hand?"

Misty closed John's hand into a fist and opened it again.

"Good," I replied, "Slow and gentle. If things go wrong, recall your Pokémon and get us out of here."

"What do you mean by 'wrong'?"

"Just about anything other than me staring at Mr. Doe."

I sat where Starmie was between me and the patient. "Let's just take a little journey along John Doe's arm," I thought.

"?"

"You must not do much psychic work at the Cerulean Gym," I replied.

"…"

"Then maybe Misty and I need to set up an exchange program. I'll send over my Staryu for swim lessons and you come down for psychic practice."

"!"

I opened and closed my hand. The reactions of my nervous system matched that of the patient at least to the spinal area. "Misty, hold his hand open and poke his palm."

Starmie and I observed the nervous reactions.

The signals were going to the brain, but path through his spine was different than mine.

"Misty, poke your palm in the same manner."

After Starmie and I observed, I mentally complained, "Great all three of us have different paths, now I don't know which is normal."

"…?"

"Okay, Misty is probably normal, but does that mean John Doe's nervous system is abnormal due to injury, birth or conditioning?"

"?"

"Don't worry about my nervous system, it works." Starmie and I cut off our observations. "Hey Misty, do you know anyplace that serves a good breakfast?"

Misty placed John's hand gently on the bed and noted, "You sound like Ash."

"Well, it is the right time for it and I'd rather be around healthy people than here."

"What about him?"

"He'll probably get his breakfast through a tube. Come on."

As we left the room, Misty asked, "I mean did you find anything in the patient's mind?"

"I'm not ready to go in his mind again. I was hoping that he had reflexes that I could follow, but his nervous system doesn't match yours or mine."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I need to think about a new strategy."

When we reached Misty's minivan, she asked, "Where to?"

"Someplace away from hospitals," I replied.

"Are you buying?"

"Sure."

We had breakfast on the top floor of the Hotel Cerulean Princess. Fifty percent of the price of breakfast was the view, but it was worth it. Most of the patrons were having breakfast to wrap up their romantic Christmas evening.

"I'm going to be seen with another woman," I quietly joked.

"That's not funny," hissed Misty.

"Do you want to call in your husband to act as a chaperone?"

"What about John Doe?"

I sighed. "I hate to admit it, but I'm lost. If there was something familiar to him, I could work."

Misty looked confused and annoyed.

"Take a book, tear out all the pages and then cut up every page of the book so only random words remain; that is my best analogy for John Doe's mind." I stared at the sunrise and looked for inspiration. "I don't know how much damage there is, because I can't get deep into his mind. Maybe John can heal his mind from the inside. Maybe the police can find a relative. Maybe the doctors can find the damage."

"What about going to Cerulean Cave for answers?"

"They wouldn't tell me where Chief went; I doubt that they'll tell me who John Doe is. Right now the only thing that I am good for is to take the blame for this mystery. Feel like shouting some more?"

"Not really."

"Can I have a ride to the train station?"

"Sure, but why not teleport?"

"Because my confidence is shot."

And so ended my first Christmas with Yuki, alone and useless on a train bound for home.


	32. Chapter 32

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Sabrina's Journal

Chapter 32

Picking up the Pieces

"I am Shaun, and I challenge you to a gym battle!"

Shaun was a bug trainer from the Viridian area who was very confident in his Pokémon.

"This will be a one on one battle with no time limit," announced Yuki.

"One?" whined Shaun as his master plan was ruined.

"You have to be able to adapt if you wish to compete at the higher levels," I replied.

"Will the challenger continue or forfeit?" asked Yuki.

"I…I uh… If I forfeit, can I challenge you again?"

"Certainly, this time."

Shaun gave a quick bow and then ran out of the gym.

"Aw," moaned several students.

"Sabrina Sensei, why did he quit?" asked Charlotte.

"Shaun's strategy was to lead with a Fortress and have it use Toxic Spikes and Explosion to take out my first Pokémon," I replied.

"But if he has only one Pokémon, then he can't use Explosion," observed Hugh.

"But Sensei, isn't it…cheating to read his mind?"

"If I had used my abilities to change his mind then that would be cheating. I also saw in his mind that he had a very strong Scizor who could probably defeat two of my Psychic Pokémon. Shaun prepared his Pokémon very well, but hadn't prepared himself."

"I still say it's cheating," thought Charlotte.

"Since there are no other challengers at this time, back to your lessons," I announced before returning to my office. I checked my messages and found that Misty had called.

"Hello, Misty."

"Where were you?"

"I am a gym leader."

"…I forgot. Who was it?"

"A bug trainer from Viridian named Shaun."

"'Shaun the Spike'," recalled Misty. "Who won?"

"He forfeited when he was told to use only one Pokémon."

"Serves him right; it took a day to change the water in the main pool after he filled it with poison," grumped Misty.

"So is this a social call?"

"Have you had any news about John Doe?"

"Let me check…no. I've had no messages from Dr. Glass, Cerulean General, or the Cerulean Police."

"I've haven't heard anything either."

"It's been a week, so they must have had time for the MRI. Maybe they don't view us as being medically capable."

"Maybe they'll just keep him in a coma and forget about him."

"I'll make a call to my family doctor; maybe he has some ideas."

I placed a call to Dr. Marcus, the family's private doctor. "Is this an emergency?" he asked.

"No," I replied.

"Good."

"A week ago I was called up to Cerulean City to look at a memory loss patient. There wasn't anything I could do for the patient. Since then neither Gym Leader Misty nor I have had any word about the patient."

"So?"

"Well we're concerned and he was found near the entrance to Cerulean Cave. Since you're a doctor, could you look into it?"

"You? Concerned? That does have my interest."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Sabrina, I brought you into this world and for the first time you've expressed empathy for another human being."

"…"

"I'll get back to you."

I fumed as the connection was broken. "…!"

Within ten minutes I was at Kiyo's gym looking for something to hit.

"?" asked Lucario.

"I came in to work off some frustration, if that's alright?"

Lucario motioned for me to follow. We bowed and entered the main dojo. Master Kiyo and a few students were present. Lucario and I took our positions away from the others. We bowed and Lucario had me on the mat in a heartbeat.

"?"

"No, I don't feel better," I replied.

I got up and was knocked down again.

Lucario asked me again if I felt better.

"No."

He replied with a shrug.

I sprang to my feet, but had them knocked out from under me.

"Mistress Sabrina?" asked Master Kiyo.

"I think that Lucario is trying to teach me a valuable lesson," I replied from the floor.

"In falling?"

"No."

"Then I'll leave you to your lesson."

The lesson wasn't about falling down since I've done that plenty of times. Something was different. I did a light scan of everyone in the room. The students, Pokémon and Master Kiyo were all focused on training. Lucario thoughts were shielded enough to avoid my scan. Something was out of place.

I was out of place. I was on the mat and I wasn't allowed to get on my feet. I came to the dojo because I was frustrated and I wanted vent my fury on something else.

I raised my hand to Lucario. He took it and helped me to my feet.

"Thank you," I said with a little bow.

Lucario gave a little woof with a smile.

I focused all of my senses on Lucario and took my position.

Lucario's aura billowed out behind him and whipped around for my legs.

I blocked his aura with a portion of my psychic energy and used the rest to deflect his right hook. Lucario followed with his right knee. I pushed back against his aura while throwing his body over my head.

Lucario landed and motioned for me to attack. I psychically seized him about the waist and dove in with a Force Palm. He tried to sidestep and then feint, but my palm tracked his movements. His movements weren't wasted, for he had his knee and elbow ready for a counterstrike.

As Lucario braced himself for my blow, I changed my target to Lucario's funny bone. His mind was caught in a lighting storm of pain. I tucked and rolled past Lucario. When I returned to my feet, Lucario was still seeing stars.

"I think you learned your lesson," remarked Kiyo. "Lucario, do you need to go to the Pokémon Center?"

Lucario shook his head.

I projected back to my gym, "Alakazam, could you look after Lucario?"

Alakazam teleported in and immediately fussed over Lucario.

I was rather pleased with myself as I took my leave and walked back to my gym, but when I got to my changing room, I saw the price of my victory: I had a massive bruise on my left side.

That evening, after the students went home, I looked for Yuki, but she wasn't here.

"Where are you?" I texted.

"Sandshrew Island," she replied.

Since the survey of the island and its inhabitants was complete, Yuki was meeting with marine contractors for accommodations. Since the island was occupied and my side was starting to hurt, I took the warptile home for a quick meal, a soak in the tub and bed.

I was woken by a sharp, stabbing pain.

"Ow!"

"What?" asked Yuki.

"I've got a massive bruise on that side," I replied.

Yuki retreated to her side of the bed. "How did you get that?"

"I was sparring with Lucario."

"Why?" she asked sheepishly.

"Dr. Marcus implied that I had no empathy for humans, so I went to Kiyo's gym to work it off."

"Uh-huh."

"When will Sandshrew Island be open for business?"

"I have some temporary barges that will be ready in a month."

"How nice are these barges, and what kind of customers are you looking at?"

"I was thinking about spring break vacationers from Unova. Snorkeling, diving and a barge full of booze in the evening."

"Just don't bring down the reputation of the company."

"You own love hotels."

"And we're discrete," I added.

"Good night."

The next morning, my side hurt so much I decided not to go to the gym.

"Are going to see a doctor? Maybe you have a cracked rib."

As I slurped down my rice porridge I thought, "I may as well. Maybe Dr. Marcus will have news on the John Doe case from Cerulean City."

"Have fun. Oh, I think your Alakazam is upset that you beat up her boyfriend."

"I hit him in the funny bone, he cracks my ribs but whose side does she take?" I sighed with a wheeze.

After a quick trip through the warptile, I was in the Saffron Medical Building.

The Dr. Marcus wasn't in, which was just as well because the pain was enough punishment; I didn't need his scolding as well. I was given some tests that showed that I didn't break any bones, so I went on to the gym for any light duty that I could find. Unfortunately Shaun was waiting outside for a rematch.

"Today is not a good day," I wheezed.

"But…"

"I'm injured from a training accident," I added, "Thus I wouldn't battle at my best. Have you tried Master Kiyo's gym?" I pointed to the way.

"Saffron City has two gyms?"

"Why not, it's a big city."

Shaun dragged himself towards the other gym as his mind fumed over all the strategy he planned for his Scizor.

"Milady?" asked Ivan.

"Nothing is broken, but I'm going to take it easy today. Is there any paper work that needs my attention?" There was, and by lunchtime I was regretting that I asked to see it.

Zoey popped her head into my office and asked, "Hey boss, got any lunch plans?"

"Only to eat lunch and run away from the paperwork. I've got a doctor's excuse to take it easy."

"Noodles?"

"Let's see what Sonny makes of my condition." As we left the gym, I asked, "Are the others joining us?"

"No. We take turns looking after the students during lunch. Today was my free day. Of course since you hired us, everyday is a free day for you."

"What's really on your mind?"

"The great psychic can't tell?" teased Zoey.

"I could, but I respect your privacy."

"Thank you. I respect yours as well, but if you want to talk…"

"About?"

"Is everything alright between you and Yuki?"

"Is it that obvious?"

"Just because I'm not psychic that doesn't mean I don't recognize head games. After all the times that Dawn and I broke up, I wish that I got an island out of the deal."

"…"

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to be so blunt."

"No it's not that. I just now realized what you said is true. Am I pushing her away?"

"More like giving her an excuse to walk away. I've done it myself, a couple of times."

We reached the warptile and teleported to the Yoshida's Department store. "I've never had friends that weren't Pokémon. I don't want to lose Yuki."

"You can't lose true friends that easily."

"Yes you can. You can close your eyes and have someone wonderful just disappear from your world."

"It still bothers you," observed Zoey.

I nodded.

"So why did you let him go?"

As I tried to think of an excuse, Zoey added, "I've heard the stories of how strong you are; I doubt that you'd let one Alakazam stop you."

"I made a promise that I'd help him find his mate and to help him get home."

"Then mission was partially accomplished; stop feeling down."

"Yes ma'am," I saluted.

With that out of the way, we spent the rest of our lunch hour talking about Zoey's students.

When we finished lunch, Zoey returned to the gym while I went back to the clinic in response to Dr. Marcus' text summons.

It took some time to find Dr. Marcus in the building because he was with a patient. I waited in the hall until Dr. Marcus found me and said, "Come in. As you can see we have your John Doe. This is Dr. Edward Bergen, he and his Pokémon will take care of John Doe."

The younger doctor bowed enthusiastically and said, "I'm very happy to meet you. These are my Pokémon: Alakazam, Alakazam, Mr. Mime and Jynx."

The four Pokémon bowed, but Jynx focused on my hairstyle and looked upset.

"Four, female, psychic Pokémon," I noted out loud. The said Pokémon all mimicked my stance and attitude. "Dr. Bergen, were these Pokémon trained to treat me?"

"Of course they were," growled Dr. Marcus. "You fly around, teleport, astral project and wander around in other minds. I had to assemble a team that could put you back together for when you eventually wind up broken."

Instead of arguing with my doctor, I decided to irritate him by talking directly to the Pokémon. "Thank you for helping us with this patient. Do you all work together or do you have separate tasks?"

The first Alakazam mentally replied, "I'm in charge of memory reconstruction."

The second Alakazam added, "I assist in memory reconstruction."

"I'm in charge of motor skills," noted the Ms. Mime as she wiggled her fingers.

"I'm in charge of emotions and psychic abilities," stated Jynx.

Looking at her was like looking at a picture of me from ten years ago.

I turned my attention to the human doctors. Dr. Marcus was irritated while Dr. Bergen was surprised. "I don't see what the problem is, gentlemen. If I am just a little more Pokémon than human, then surely it will be easier for these fine Pokémon to repair my mind if I am 'damaged'."

"Dr. Bergen, I leave John Doe to you. Sabrina, would you come with me?" We moved to an empty room where Dr. Marcus sighed, "Why do you do this Sabrina?"

"I realize that I'm a princess and have certain obligations, but can't I have any control of my life?"

"This isn't about you being a princess or me being the 'royal physician'. This is about you going too far. Every time I hear about one of your grand stunts I worry. I worry because I know that one day you'll push yourself too far and wind up just like John Doe. Before you say otherwise let me tell you something: you have a human brain and a human brain can only work so hard and so fast before it breaks."

"Are you saying that John Doe is a psychic?"

"I'm saying that I don't want you to be like John Doe."

"Can John Doe be helped?"

"This isn't the first case that Dr. Bergen has dealt with so I'll leave that assessment to him. We'll contact you if there is any progress. Please try to be more human."

"Then I'll return to the gym and do more paperwork," I grumped as I left.

Which is what I did, but I also invited the staff out for dinner and karaoke.

After the five of us climbed into the cab, Zoey asked, "What's the occasion?"

"The doctor said I should be more human. I can't imagine Pokémon acting silly as they sing off key."

Actually Ivan didn't sing off key; rather he was very good.

"Maybe he wears the mask because he's a famous rock star," speculated Zoey. Zoey insisted that Ivan keep singing and there rest of us would sing backup.

Later, Yuki and I were the first to be dropped off by the cab. As we rode the elevator up, Yuki asked, "Is everything alright?"

"My doctor has taken the John Doe case."

"That's good, right?"

I nodded. "What bothers me is that John Doe's treatment was intended for me. I used to think that Dr. Marcus was just paranoid, but he scared me today. He really believes that I'll push my abilities to the point where my mind will just shatter."

"Shatter?"

"That's the only way I can describe John Doe's mind."

"Wait a minute, if John Doe is a psychic that pushed his abilities to the limit, would we know who he was?"

"He could be a monk or hermit," I speculated.

"Leave the treatment to the doctors," insisted Yuki as we left the elevator, "Spend time with the little ones, get a good night sleep and go to work in the morning."

"Yes Dr. Cellars."

"I am so making you wear that nurse's outfit tonight."

So I spent the evening playing Nurse Sabrina with the young Pokémon until I laughed myself hoarse.

"You don't check reflexes with a meat tenderizer!" laughed Yuki.

"Sure you do," I replied. "All of them ran away as soon as they saw it. I'd say that's a good reflex."

"Now you have to find them."

"Easy," I boasted as I let my senses wander. "Spoink hid in the laundry basket, but his pearl rolled off. Poliwag hid behind the washer, but now she's trying to reach the pearl." I maneuvered the pearl out from under the washer and put it in the laundry basket with Spoink. "Eevee is hiding under the cushion of Espeon's bed. Gastly is hiding in the topiary of her mother and Ralts is hiding in my closet."

"You're cheating."

"We're training," I corrected. "I can sense you all," I broadcasted, "Calm your thoughts."

"You should have given them to the count of ten first."

"Why?"

"Because those are the rules: They run off to hide and you count. You don't look for them until you're done counting. Honestly, haven't you ever played hide and go seek before?"

"No. Is there a governing body for the game?"

"…"

"Gotcha," I teased.

The next day's treat of sleeping in was spoiled by a call from Misty.

"They've taken him away!"

"What?" I mumbled.

"John Doe. He's no longer in Cerulean General Hospital!"

"Yeah, my doctor took custody and transferred him to here," I yawned.

"Oh."

"I'll call you later with an update. Good night."

"It's seven in the morning," corrected Yuki.

"And I'm not done sleeping off last night."

Yuki didn't argue, but did snuggle closer as she went back to sleep.

I ignored the usual messages until one came from Dr. Bergen: "Breakthrough!" At that point it was a little after ten in the morning, so I decided to get up.

"Aren't you the late riser," teased Yuki from under the covers.

"I've got a message from Dr. Bergen," I replied.

"Good news?"

"I think so. Fancy some breakfast?" I asked as I psychically groomed myself.

Yuki peeked from under the covers and squinted at me. "Did you comb your hair, or did you just made me think that you did?"

"Trade secret," I teased.

"Well I probably look like crap."

"Then do what men do, put on a hat and a long coat to cover it up. Let's go."

Yuki did and added a pair of sunglasses to shade her eyes.

We used the warptile to the medical building and went to a coffee shop across the street.

"Did the doctor give any details?"

"No," I replied as I texted another message for details.

"So why are we here? Wishful thinking?"

"I'm trying to be positive," as I ate my curry bread.

"And I know that this is a new thing for you and I don't want to discourage you," teased Yuki.

"Keep that up and I'll make you pay for breakfast."

"Says the woman who could buy the restaurant."

"Maybe I already own it." I leaned in close to whisper, "Is the staff topless?"

Yuki mentally replied, "No," as she reeled back.

"Then I probably don't own the place. Mind you, the Miltank Café serves really good coffee."

"Do you hire servers based upon the size of their 'udders'?"

I nodded.

"Are you making this up, or is this the plot of another one of your videos?"

"It's three blocks north from the Electric Town Station and there are three floors. The first two floors are a 'regular' maid café, while the third floor has the special v.i.p. lounge."

"Sabrina?"

"Where else is a slightly overweight woman going to work in the near sex trade?"

"'Near sex'?"

"Hostess bars, maid cafes, swimsuit models…"

"?"

"We designed some Miltank themed maid outfits that enhance their 'udders' and disguise the rest. The pay is very good."

"Decent?" quipped Yuki.

"Somewhat."

Yuki looked at her coffee and the packets of cream. "'One cream or two?' just took on a whole new meaning," she thought with a sigh.

"Why?"

Yuki gave me a dirty look.

"Sorry, food safety laws prevent that kind of service. You came up with that idea on your own."

"You are such a bad influence."

I sipped my coffee and mentally replied, "And now I'm going to reprogram John Doe in my image."

"Sabrina…?" asked Yuki out loud.

"Hmm?"

"Is there a chance that you could?"

"Could what?"

"Everyone knows that you miss Chief. Even the students sense that someone is missing in your life. Is there a chance that you could imprint your memories of Chief on John Doe?"

I put my coffee down and thought. I nodded and said, "I miss him. I'm sorry for what it's doing to us. I hadn't thought about it before, but you're right: I could try to rewire John Doe's memories so he'd be Chief in human form. But Dr. Bergen is using four psychic Pokémon that are far more experienced in memory reconstruction than I am. I doubt that I'd be able to interfere without being noticed. Especially since those Pokémon were trained to rebuild my mind, and they may know me better than I know myself."

Yuki blinked. "What?"

"Dr. Marcus worries that with all of my psychic activity I could literally lose my mind. So they have trained a team of Pokémon to put my mind back together."

"Is that what the Pokétch and your journal are supposed to do?"

"I think that the journal is blueprint and the Pokémon are the repair team. When Grandmother told me to keep a journal I think that she meant a written journal. This is way more advanced. Perhaps I need some protocols installed that would allow those Pokémon to access it in case I did lose my mind."

"Does being love struck with a Pokémon from another dimension count, and could they undo that?"

"Okay, I deserved that," I sighed.

"I'm just teasing. You go and check on John Doe and I'll head to Hoenn to look over construction of the barges." Yuki got up, gave me peck on the cheek and said, "Have fun," and then rushed off to the nearest warptile.

Fun: not a word that I relate to hospitals or mental patients. I doubled my mental shields, and set off to the clinic to find Dr. Bergen. I kept my mind on reading business reports as I waited in the lobby.

"Miss Sabrina?"

"Dr. Bergen, you said there was a breakthrough?"

"Yes: John Doe is a vegetarian!"

"…That's it? How is that a breakthrough?"

"Well it means that we made contact with part of John Doe's memories. We gave him samples of food and found that he responds most favorably to fruits, nuts, grains, leafy vegetables, roots,…"

"Okay, I get the point."

The doctor tried to show me his clipboard of notes that listed John Doe's likes and dislikes.

"How does this help?" I asked bluntly.

"Um, I'm not sure yet. Maybe if we could discover in his diet certain regional specialties, we could find his home."

"I just had some coffee that was grown on the other side of the planet and ate some curry bread whose ingredients probably came from two different continents."

"Okay, maybe we won't discover his identity from his food. But the familiarity of the food may trigger other memories that define his personality. So it is a breakthrough."

"You're right. I'm sorry for my behavior, but hospitals upset me."

"Really, why?"

"I'm psychic," I reminded him.

It took Dr. Bergen a few seconds to make the connection, at which point he made a note on his clipboard.

"When there is another breakthrough, could you text me a few more details? I'd like to think about it, without being defensive."

"Yes, yes. I can do that. Um, sorry for having you go out of your way."

So I left the medical building as I called Misty. "The doctor and his Pokémon managed to reach John Doe through food."

"That makes sense. Ash only ever thought about food and Pokémon."

"And sex," I added.

"That was later."

"Do the police any have new clues?"

"No," replied Misty. "I think that they put it down as drunk and disorderly and closed the books."

"Well he's getting lots of attention and food."

"Did you see him?"

"I stayed away. The Pokémon that are working with him are psychic and I don't want to mentally get in the way."

"We'll, thanks for the update. Bye."

… I had no idea what to do next. I watched as people walked past and did the lightest of scans for ideas and found 'shopping'.

I placed a call and mom answered, "Good morning, Sabrina."

"Mom, do you have to do some grocery shopping?"

"I was just going out to do that. Should I come pick you up?"

"If you could wait a half an hour, I could burn off some excess energy and come to you."

"That'll be fine."

I pulled my psychic energy into a streamlined shell and shot myself into the sky. I let my Pokétch give me directions to my parent's house as I just enjoyed the thrill of flying and speed.

Winter was retreating from Saffron City. The clouds were a little whiter than they had been and the blue patches of sky seemed a little bluer. The flight was so good that I overshot my parent's house and had to circle back. Dr. Marcus would object but I bet this was safer than owning my own jet.

I landed and let myself in. "Mom?"

"You're here early," she called out.

Dad called out from the dining room, "Good morning, Sabrina."

I went in. "Morning," I replied with heavy breath.

"Did you jog from Saffron Tower to here?"

"I flew," I replied and noted that dad looked like he just got up.

"Ready," announced mother as she came into the room. "Wait; keys?"

Father levitated them off the counter.

"Thank you dear," replied mother as she blew dad a kiss and headed out.

Once we were in the car, I asked, "You weren't really going shopping, were you?"

"Sometimes shopping is just an excuse to get out of the house," insisted mother. After mother got the car onto the main road she prompted, "So?"

"John Doe, the lost memory patient, is responding to certain foods and I realized that I never spent much time shopping for foods. Do you know where we can see and sample a lot of foods?"

"Fruits and vegetables, fish, or prepared foods?"

"The doctor thinks that John Doe is vegetarian."

"Then let go to the farmers market. Is there anything else that you want to talk about?"

"What do you mean?"

"You, Yuki, Chief, work…?"

"I thought you weren't psychic."

"I'm your mother: that makes me psychic enough."

"I am confused. All these mental powers and yet I can't understand my own heart."

"Few people can and most people your age have had a few years head start."

"Huh?"

"Sweetie, when most girls get interested in boys, you were turning people into dolls. It's bad enough for teenagers to play with dolls."

I felt crushed by guilt. "I'm sorry mom. I really am."

"Brrr, did you turn on the air conditioner?" Mother shook me by the shoulder. "Snap out it. I didn't mean to make you feel guilty. I just wanted to point out that in some ways you are…"

"Psychotic, antisocial, evil…?"

"Underdeveloped."

"Oh."

"It's like those gymnasts that starve themselves and years later they look like children with the face of old women."

"I never followed gymnastics," I replied as I checked my face in the sun visor's mirror.

"You look fine dear."

"Did you have boyfriends before you met dad?"

"Oh sure."

"What happened to them?"

My mother with an evil cackle replied, "I turned them into dolls."

"So that's where I get it from."

"You realize that I was joking, don't you?"

"It all makes sense now."

"Sabrina…"

"Yes, you were joking."

"Anyway, those other boys just didn't have what your father had."

"Which was?"

"I've asked myself that a lot, I never found the answer, but he's got it."

"I'm confused."

"Exactly. I love and married your father, we raised a wonderful daughter and yet I still don't know why I love him. But I do."

"As inspirational stories go, that's not going to sell any books."

"Which is why I gave up on technical writing and became a housewife. Speaking of which, we're here," commented mother as she pulled into a large parking lot.

The Saffron City Fruit and Flower Market was located between the city airport and seaport so it can receive the freshest shipments of vegetable matter from around the world. The market was similar to the fish market, with hundreds of wholesalers and retailers under one roof.

"Your father doesn't come here. Are you alright?"

"It's beautiful," I gasped.

"He calls it, 'hectic and loud'."

"It's loud alright. I can hear hundreds, no thousands, of thoughts from here."

"Do you want to go inside?"

"It's like a choir. All of those thoughts dedicated to the wonderful smells, tastes and memories."

"Sabrina?" Mom shook me.

I pulled my senses close and let the outside thoughts fade to a background song.

"I'll be alright," I replied and smiled to her ease her concern.

"I haven't brought you here since you were a little girl. Once your powers started to develop, we thought it best to keep you away from crowds. So, what should we shop for?"

"I don't know."

"Let's start with tea and work our way to rice, since those are the only things you know how to cook."

"Mom," I whined, "Why should I have to cook? I've got a business to run, students to teach and gym battles to conduct."

"Now you sound like your father. Just add: do laundry and iron."

"I don't do those things either. But I can iron clothes psychically."

"Then teach your father…"

"Can you smell that?"

"It smells like tea. Sabrina?"

It wasn't just the smell of tea; it was the smell of everything that was tea.

Mom shook me again. "Here's a sample. What do _you_ think of this tea?"

"Excuse me?"

Mom patiently said, "Taste the tea and tell me what you think and not what everyone else is thinking."

I sipped the hot sample from the little paper cup.

"Your thoughts this time."

"It's bitter," I replied.

"Is that good or bad?"

"I wouldn't buy it."

"How about this one?"

I tried the new sample. "There is a slight sweet/fruity taste to it."

"Do you like it?"

I nodded.

The shopkeeper indicated that she had bags of the tea in various sizes. I bought a large bag.

As we walked through the fresh flower section, mom asked, "Did you really like the tea, or was that someone else's thoughts?"

I stopped and focused only on the lingering taste of the tea in my mouth. "It reminds me of having a drink after a hard day's work; laughing and chatting with friends. I just can't remember when or where it happened. But it's a good memory. What?"

"For the longest time I worried that you wouldn't have friends."

"Yeah."

"But, 'a hard day's work'; you?"

"Have you ever seen me workout with my Pokémon? I bruised a rib sparring with a Lucario yesterday."

"You always did bruise easily. Look at that, fresh roses. How about you get some for Yuki?"

"Since they were grown in a greenhouse near Mt. Chimney, it'll remind her of home," I noted dryly.

"What's that?"

"I think I should buy you a dozen as well."

"Thank you. It's funny that flowers make you cynical, but tea makes you sentimental."

Mom may have made a joke there, but I was trying to recall any memories that connected to roses. I could find anything in my mind. So we moved on to fresh fruit.

"Do you remember these?"

I looked where mom was pointing. "Lychee?"

Mother peeled and split the fruit. She handed me the half without the seed. "Do you remember?"

I reached for the fruit, but that wasn't right. I had to use both hands because everything was so big, and my little hands fumbled a lot. I took the bright, white fruit and tasted its fragrant sweetness. The world was so big and chaotic, but that was drowned out by mother's presence and the happiness in my mouth.

"You gave me a sample of a lychee… here?"

Mom added, "From this very same stall."

"So this is little Sabrina-chan?" asked the shopkeeper. "All these years your mother would come to buy some lychee, I'd ask about her cute, little girl and she'd tell me how proud she was of you. I'm glad I got a chance to meet you again."

"Thank you," I bowed.

"You blushed like that the last time I saw you," chuckled the shopkeeper.

We paid for the lychee and moved on before I was total embarrassed.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. It's just that introspection is a bit humiliating."

"Humility is good," instructed mother.

"Not for a psychic," I explained.

"A little bit of humility is good for everyone."

"So are those."

Mom looked and asked, "What?"

"Two rows over; do you see those reddish berries?"

I dashed through the crowd and stopped and stared at the beautiful little fruits.

"Goumi?" asked mother. "I think I bought some before, but I don't remember what they taste like."

I couldn't remember either, but for some reason I had to repeatedly swallow to keep from drooling. I bought a shallow basket of the delicate fruit and ate one before the clerk handed me my change. Nothing. That's not accurate. The fruit was tasty and sweet with a hint of sour, but I was expecting something more and it wasn't there. Mom was holding my change, so I took it and offered her a berry.

"Are they that good?" she asked as she took a berry. "Not bad."

"I must have confused them with something else."

"Anything else catch your eye?"

We looked about a little more and then returned to mom's car with our purchases. I didn't have any plans for the rest of the day, so I stayed with mother as she returned home and prepared lunch.

"Are you joining us for lunch?" asked father as he came into the kitchen.

"Yes."

"Is everything alright?" he asked mentally.

"Well enough," I replied. "Dad, after lunch, could I join you in your train room?"

My father's mind flashed the question, "Thinking of starting a railway company?" as his eyes gleamed.

"No. I want the see how you think about and remember trains. I'd like to use my observations to help John Doe."

"…You want to observe me, so you can help a mental patient?"

"Yes please."

"I think I've been insulted by my own daughter," observed my father out loud.

"I said she was a bit slow in development. Trouble with relationships and insulting her parents puts her at about fourteen or fifteen."

"No Dad, I'm not saying that you're a mental patient. I just want to know what it's like to have fond childhood memories." They both glared at me. "Because I don't that many of my own."

"Now she's blaming her parents," added my mother.

"Have you've been reading pop-psychology books?" I asked.

"Read," corrected my mother. "I've got a small library of books. Once you became obsessed with your psychic training I didn't know how to reach you. I read a lot of books and the closest reference to your case was under possessions and exorcisms."

"And the only people strong enough to perform the exorcism, was my mother and Lady Agatha," sighed my father.

"I hope you two are joking," I noted nervously.

"Yes dear," replied mother with a smile that could heal anything.

"Actually, possession was a possibility."

"That's enough dear."

Dad grew solemn. "Sabrina, you've touched one of the special ancestral portraits."

I nodded.

"If you were exposed to those portraits before you were ready… you'd be possessed by the memories and personality of your ancestor."

"But she wasn't," corrected my mother as she put her arms around me. "Your father, grandmother and several Pokémon scanned your mind and found no one in there but you. You're not evil or possessed. You were a little girl fixated on a goal and just hard to reach."

"Are you possessed now?" asked my father as he raised an eyebrow.

"I hope not, exorcisms hurt."

"?"

"Anyway, shall we go play with trains?"

Father's train room was in the warehouse district. "Welcome to the Saffron City Model Train Club." Since it was the weekend there were several men with their sons here. I felt a little out of place, but most to the people didn't pay me much attention. "This is the pride of the club," beamed my father, "It is the most accurate model of the Saffron City rail system. We've already added the new Marsh Castle station."

I faded to the background. Almost every thought was about trains. Model trains, real trains and even fantasy trains. The adults had more details, and more references, in their thoughts, but still there was that wonderfully innocent world of make-believe.

I lost track of time.

"Sabrina?"

"Yes dad?"

"What have you found?"

"A timeless world."

"Any great insights?"

"No."

"Well, since you're finished with your chores come over here and play. It's not enough to watch others as their minds orbit around a dream." I hesitated as I walked to where father was. "Just sit here. Don't worry, you won't break anything."

I sat on the stool and looked at the strange controls before me.

"This knob controls speed, this controls direction and these switches change the switches on the track. This is a model of a switchyard. See if you can take this engine to here, hookup that car and take it to there."

Child's play isn't always easy. The logic of the switching was easy to understand, but I didn't have a feel for the speeds the engine and cars could take through the corners and derailed three times. Father just smiled and patiently put the cars back on the tracks.

"I think I've got the hang of it."

"Do you feel like you're playing with toys or do you feel like you're in that little engine moving real cars?"

"It's like a video game."

"That's a common view from the younger generation."

"Shouldn't you think that with more contempt?"

"It's just an observation."

"…Am I missing something?"

"Probably," teased my father.

I stopped playing with my train, and focused on the mind of a boy playing on the nearest set. Next I compared his thoughts to the thoughts of a man old enough to be his father and I couldn't tell the difference with regard to how they viewed the trains.

"Father?" I thought.

My father's thoughts came back, "You saw it as a world of make believe, and it is. But their view of this make believe world is colored by their dedication to that world. That boy did chores for the money to buy his engine and rolling stock. As a result he is very careful not to break anything. That man hand painted his rolling stock, as did his son. If fact that man only got into trains when his son did."

"This is not what I was expecting," I thought.

"So, will this help your mental patient?"

"Probably not," I concluded.

"I'm sorry. But it was nice to watch you play with something other than shrunken humans in your dollhouse."

"Do you think these people would enjoy being shrunk down to the scale of their trains?"

"Some of them would, but don't you dare."

"Yes daddy."


	33. Chapter 33

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokémon or its characters and place names, but in the spirit of fanfiction I own this story and the characters I created around it.

Lemon Warning: If you don't know what a lemon is or you know you're not supposed to read it, then don't.

Sabrina's Journal

Chapter 33

Drawing Conclusions

Slateport City: the economic heart of the Hoenn Region and center of the shipping and ship building industry. It has been three weeks since I gave Yuki Sandshrew Island, and now she brought me to the Slateport Shipyards to see the architect and his grand design to make a former guano mine into a destination resort.

"Shipping containers: that's your idea of upscale accommodations?" I thought.

Yuki mentally replied, "I put a lot of thought into this and it is the best solution. They're modern and modular. One villa can be broken into two suites or six cottages. No foundations are needed, just simple concrete footings."

"Where were you planning on storing the crane?"

Yuki sheepishly replied, "The crane is extra."

"Mr. Tony?"

"Yes?"

"They look too much like shipping containers."

"But they are shipping containers," he replied dryly.

"I'm not paying to have that dropped on a pristine beach. Make it look less like a shipping container and I'll sign the check."

His mind flashed with rage and dozens of images of his grand vision. I saw the incriminating evidence in his mind. "That's the problem Mr. Tony. I don't want to see your design from a boat. I want these to blend in with the background and not to look like the scene of a shipping accident."

"Isn't this supposed to be my decision?" fumed Yuki.

I projected to her Mr. Tony's vision. "You would need a tetanus shot just to surf in front of that."

"It's not that bad."

I calmly projected to Yuki, "Think of it from the Sandshrew's perspective: in the lagoon are the rusting remains of their past servitude and now you're dumping some rusting boxes on the shoreline."

Yuki relented, "You're right."

"Mr. Tony, I want a revised proposal on my desk in a week."

"A week!?"

"And one more thing: make the second batch with lighter furnishings; I can barely lift it as it is."

"?"

Yuki pointed to a container that was levitating a foot above the ground. I let it down, but lost control and it fell a few inches. Dozens of heads turned towards the noise of crashing steel and shattering glass.

Mr. Tony slowly turned and looked at me in horror.

"The windows need to be updated. I realize that refurnishing the first batch would be costly, so just update their exteriors so they blend in with their surroundings. The second batch should be lighter. Personally I like the feel of tatami."

Mr. Tony continued to stare.

"Do you have any questions, Mr. Tony?"

He carefully shook his head.

"Then I'll leave you to your work." I turned and returned to the limo. Yuki joined me.

Once in the car, Yuki asked, "Did you have to show off?"

"The problem with some designers is that they are so fixated on their own ideas and they can't accommodate their clients'. Once he regains his wits he will hopefully realize that I just doubled the order and established that I will get what I want."

"So I made a good choice?"

"The modular system is an excellent idea. If a client wants to pay for exclusivity, she can have the beach and the whole structure to herself. When the tourist season peeks, break up the structure so the occupancy rate is more stable. The problem is that your labor force stands two feet tall and it would take all of them to move one container."

"I thought that I'd hire some Machokes. There are plenty of them here on the docks."

"Then get some ramps in the deal, or all your structures will just be one container high."

"Driver, take me to the jetfoil dock," ordered Yuki. "I thought that I'd spend the weekend with my parents."

We didn't say anything until the limo stopped.

"Give your parents my best wishes."

"I will, and try not to do anything too reckless until I get back," replied Yuki.

I smiled.

"I mean it, I'm coming back."

Yuki left the limo, waved goodbye and disappeared into the terminal.

"Ma'am?"

...

"Slateport Tower."

As we got closer to the tower, I made the request for warptile transit back to Saffron Tower.

"When should I bring the car around again?"

"This is my last stop. Thank you."

I didn't say anything to anyone until I walked through my front door. "Oof!"

"Tag!" thought Eevee as he headbutted me in the stomach. He turned and disappeared into the apartment via Quick Attack.

I counted to ten as I kicked off the dress shoes, tight skirt and jacket.

"Ten!" I projected through the apartment. I could feel as the wave was scattered by the adult Pokémon and the psychic shielding built into the floor.

The little ones: Eevee, Gastly, Ralts, Poliwag and Spoink were doing very well in controlling their thoughts. "You've all done a great job!" I projected as I made my way to the bedroom for more comfortable clothes.

Nothing.

Good, they didn't fall for that trick again.

As I changed clothes, I could hear the faint breathing of a Pokémon from under my pillow. I peeked and found Spoink with his pearl. Since that looked so comfy, I laid down on Yuki's side of the bed and left my body.

I tapped on Spoink's astral form. He became aware of me. "Spoink?"

"Yes, you are dreaming, and your pearl is floating away."

"Spoink!" squealed the little Pokémon as he chased after his pearl with all the speed of a lava lamp.

Gastly was the easiest to find since she shunted her psychic presence to the astral plane. "Tag."

"Gas!" fumed the little purple ghost.

"Now, now; you did a good job hiding. Didn't you feel me shifting to this plane?"

"?"

"It's not enough to protect yourself from psychic attacks. I'm rather clumsy with my ghost attacks."

The little one nodded.

"So what's your excuse for not noticing me?"

The little ball of gas did her cute attempt at a shrug.

"Come on, help me find the others."

We found Poliwag resting at the bottom of the pool; Eevee was close to his mother, but Ralts was the most difficult to find because he found a corner where the active shielding was the strongest.

"Gastly?"

"He's right there," I explained. "Yes it looks like he's there and then he isn't, but that's the shielding. Don't get any closer!"

"?"

"I'm going back to my body."

"GASTLY!" shouted the Pokémon as she phased in to scare Ralts. Ralts teleported away. Just another quiet day at home with the Pokémon.

Before returning to my body, I took a detour into the garden. Saffron City was so alive and active that the astral plane felt like a maelstrom. Millions of lives and thoughts came together in an astral roar.

"Geng," mumbled Gengar as he rubbed his eyes.

"Did we wake you with hide and seek?"

Gengar nodded.

"How can you sleep at all with all this... noise?"

Gengar floated under a shady tree and tried to make himself comfortable. "Gengar?"

"What disturbance?"

Gengar pointed to the east.

"I don't sense anything."

Gengar shrugged me off and rolled over to sleep.

I returned to my body and found a text message waiting for me. Dr. Bergen wrote, "Pokémon need help."

I dressed in my street clothes as I tried to call. I got his messaging system. "This is Sabrina. I'm on my way over."

I used the warptiles to get to the clinic. My phone rang just as I reached the front door. "I'm just outside the building. Where can I find you?"

"Excuse me? Oh yes, Sabrina. I'm in John Doe's room," replied the doctor as he regained his wits.

I took the elevator up and when the doors opened, I could feel the psychic struggle. I rushed down the hall and into John Doe's room. Dr. Bergen was being shielded by his four Pokémon.

"What's going on?" I shouted.

"I was hoping you could tell me!"

I didn't know how it started, but the four psychic Pokémon were battling with their patient. I encased the doctor and his Pokémon in my psychic energy and dragged us out of the room. All sides slowly powered down.

"Your Pokémon haven't had many battles," I observed.

"Pokémon battles?"

"Battles aren't won with scalpels and stitches. That fine skill of sifting through memories makes them more vulnerable to attack."

"Are you saying my Pokémon were battling with the patient?"

"Yes," I replied.

"Why?"

The Pokémon shuffled about in their guilt and gave the universal excuse of, "He started it."

"Whatever. What were you four doing up to the moment he attacked?"

Both Alakazams were working on memory reconstruction in conjunction with Jynx's discovery of emotions linked to certain fruits. Ms. Mime was working on motor control in the form of using chopsticks. Suddenly John Doe lashed out and blocked their probes.

I relayed that information to the doctor.

"What does it mean?"

"I'd say that the Pokémon put enough of John Doe's memories together that he became self aware and that he's psychic enough to notice their probes."

"'Psychic enough'? He was fighting against four psychic Pokémon," argued the doctor.

"First: your Pokémon are not that strong in battle. Second: they were trying to treat him, not hurt him."

"What do we do now?"

"Plan B."

"Which is?"

"I don't know; we have to plan it."

We retreated to a small conference room. "Do you think that John Doe would notice if we just used one Pokémon?"

"We could try that later," I replied as I worked the coffee machine. "If John Doe is aware, he may start to heal himself." I stared at the coffee machine as it hissed and steamed. "If John Doe is psychic perhaps we should observe him via closed circuit television."

"That won't tell us what's going on in his head. How can we tell if there is damage to John Doe's memories or personality?"

"I thought that I was the impatient one."

"Sorry. This is the first time we've had a reaction like that."

"What is the usual reaction?"

"Nostalgia is the most common reaction when people regain memories. Since memories are connected, they usually want more of their memories to come back. John Doe is the first patient to reject the process."

"Is John Doe the first psychic that you've treated?"

"All that time that we practiced on memory reconstruction... Now I'm not sure if we could treat you Miss Sabrina."

"I think that I'd want my memories back, and since you'd know who I was you would have some blueprint to my memories. John Doe's reaction could be the result of a triggered memory and he needs to work it out for himself. Just observe him for a while. I should probably setup the camera. If John Doe can sense what the camera is for, he may lash out."

The doctor left and soon returned with a computer camera. "There's a computer in the room."

I took the camera and carefully entered John Doe's room. I kept my psychic shield close as I slowly walked over to the computer. John's eyes were shut tight while his fingers clawed away at the sheets.

Once the camera was set, I lowered my defenses. John Doe didn't react. I quietly dimmed the lights and left the room. Dr. Bergen was waiting in the conference room.

"Turning down the lights makes it harder to see," he observed.

"Sorry. I'll send over a better camera later. John is focused on his own mind so I'd advise against any mental probes."

"What about his hands?"

"You're the doctor; I'm just tech support. On that thought, can I borrow your Pokémon for a while? I'd like to get a better idea what triggered John's reaction."

The doctor handed me the four Poké Balls.

"I'll be at the gym if you need me."

Ivan met me at the door of the gym. "Will you be having battles today, Milady?"

"I haven't decided. I need some quiet time to consult with some Pokémon. Are there any students using the main gym?"

"There were, but they left for lunch."

On the battlefield I arranged the Pokémon as they were in John Doe's room. "Everyone focus on what you were doing before John Doe reacted."

The four psychic Pokémon entered my mind. Three of them found my recent memory of eating fruit at the farmer's market. The memory of the flavors was so intense that I didn't want to think of anything else, but Ms. Mime's was probing for motor skills. I could feel the rough hide of the lychee give way and holding the slick fruit in my fingers.

"You said that you were working on chopstick functions."

Ms. Mime agreed.

"Let's focus on that." I pulled the four of them into a lucid dream. I imagined myself sitting at a table and about to eat some fruit with chopsticks.

Jynx pointed out that the fruit's identity shifted. I watched as the Alakazams cycled through a collection of various fruits. "Back up and show me that orange fruit." The fruit was a persimmon, but cut into bite-sized pieces. "Is this John Doe's actual memory of the persimmon?"

The Pokémon agreed.

"Ms. Mime, he actually had a memory of eating this with chopsticks?"

Ms. Mime's image shrugged. The image of the persimmon wavered between sliced and solid. The chopsticks in my hand changed to a skewer and then a whole persimmon. The whole persimmon's image grew in intensity and became the focal point of John Doe's attack.

"His mind rejected the idea of eating persimmon with chopsticks and he tried to force that idea on you four. It's as if he is of two minds. Maybe you've been trying to restore the wrong one. We better go tell Dr. Bergen." I dissolved the dream, collected the Pokémon into their balls and raced out of the gym. "Sorry Ivan, no battles today."

"Yes Milady."

I texted for Dr. Bergen and Dr. Marcus to meet me, and so they were waiting for me in the conference room, where I relayed my observations.

Dr. Marcus grew cold and withdrawn. Finally he said, "Dr. Bergen, I need to talk to Sabrina privately."

"Um, sure. I'll go check on the patient."

Dr. Marcus locked the door behind Dr. Bergen.

"Your bracelets act as a recorder, don't they?"

I nodded.

"Is it secure?"

"The recordings are of my brainwaves. It takes my brain to decrypt it."

"There is a very good chance that John Doe is the Lost Prince." I didn't react. "The Lost Prince was Robert, son of Samantha. Samantha claimed him as her son but the royal physician gave birth to him. This information has never been revealed to anyone other than royal physicians.

"Robert was a talented psychic, and his power kept growing. But as his power grew he lost his humanity and became a Pokémon. After age ten, every portrait shows him with a mustache. At first a few whiskers, but later he had the full Alakazam. His eyes and fingernails were the next to change. We were still fighting the civil wars, so his power was needed on the battlefield to defend the city. But the more he tapped into that power, the more the power took his body.

"When he was twenty-four, he was wounded by the recently introduced matchlocks. He was so confident in his Recover ability that he always led from the front. Two days later he woke to find that he had the hands and feet of an Alakazam. The clan couldn't risk having his secret discovered, so he left to become a monk and was never seen again.

"This is why I worry every time that I learn about your latest stunts."

"So you think that after five hundred years as an Alakazam that the transformation wears off and he becomes Prince Robert again?"

Dr. Marcus gripped his head with both hands. "I know that doesn't make sense. But if an Alakazam lived for five hundred years and then changed into a human, wouldn't the human size brain reject that much information?"

"That would make sense with the feeling I got of him being of two minds. A person of Prince Robert's standing wouldn't be expected to cut his own persimmon. But as a Pokémon, eating with chopsticks is unnatural."

"It's just a theory," mumbled Dr. Marcus as he argued with himself.

"But your theory shows that Dr. Bergen cannot use his Pokémon to reprogram John Doe."

"I agree."

"What do we tell Dr. Bergen?"

"Based upon what you found, we have reason enough for him to cease his treatments."

I nodded in agreement. "But we can't assume he is Prince Robert either. Do you know anyone who treats memory patients without Pokémon?"

"I have some contacts," mumbled Dr. Marcus as he looked at the image of John Doe on the monitor.

I composed a text for Misty, "John Doe rejected the use of psychic Pokémon to reconstruct his memory. Need new ideas or leads. Have you pressured Cerulean Police for help?"

Dr. Marcus continued to stare at the monitor as he said under his breath, "What have we done?"

"What's the matter?"

"Look at his hands. He's like a beast clawing to be free."

It was true that John Doe was fighting against the restraints, but then his hands looked like they were working on something and the restraints got in the way.

"When the Pokémon were rebuilding the motor skills to use chopsticks, it 'struck a nerve'," I recalled. "Maybe if he had some chopsticks he'll remember something important."

"The cafeteria is on the third floor. I'll go tell Dr. Bergen the bad news."

I went down the cafeteria, got an assortment of chopsticks and a quick curry lunch. As I ate I decided that I would get an assortment of spoons as well.

What followed was an exercise in patience. We presented John Doe the collection of flatware on a table and released his arms from the restraints. First he took a spoon in a clumsy grip, banged and rubbed it against the table and finally dropped it on the floor. Next he took a chopstick and did the same. After he dropped everything on the floor, he strained against the restraints to look at the floor. So I retrieved the dropped tools, and John Doe started banging and dropping again.

I lost track of time until Dr. Marcus came in.

"How long does this go on?" I asked.

"A couple of months," he explained, "Eventually the child gains enough dexterity to use the spoon and the awareness that the spoon is used to eat food. He should have gotten fussy by now and gave up."

Soon John Doe gave up on banging and concentrated on rubbing, so much so that he used both hands so he could rub two instruments at the same time. Unfortunately he still dropped them on the floor.

"Miss Sabrina?"

Someone was calling me. But from where?

"Miss Sabrina, wake up."

Oh, that's where I was.

I carefully opened my eyes and noticed that I was still in John Doe's room.

"I've must have been picking up spoons in my sleep." I looked at the situation and added, "But if the spoon falls on his bed, I won't hear it and won't pick it up." John had settled on a plastic, child's chopstick and was still carving away at the steel tabletop.

"Perhaps you should go home and get some sleep," offered Dr. Bergen, "It is almost midnight."

So I staggered my way out of the clinic, to the warptile and bed.

The next morning was almost perfect. There was blue sky to be seen behind the puffy white clouds and then the rising sun charged everything with orange. Unfortunately I only had Pokémon to snuggle with; the most likely was Spoink who decided that he could have half of my bed. I stared out the window at the drifting clouds and drifted back towards sleep.

My sleep was interupted by a call from Misty.

"Are you sure you not a dark type," I mumbled.

"I got a call from Dr. Glass and he's said there's been a major breakthrough with John Doe."

"Huh?"

"Why aren't you at the clinic?"

"Because I'm in bed," I replied.

"How soon can you get here?"

"How soon can you get _here_?" I replied.

"Where are you?"

"In bed, penthouse, Saffron Tower, eastside, Saffron City," I listed.

I squeezed in a few more minutes of sleep and then staggered for a quick shower. As I rushed back to my bedroom, I was confronted by a surprised redhead.

"Um, sorry, but your Pokémon let me in."

"Sorry that I'm running late," I replied as I dried my hair. "Would you like a quick tour?"

"Excuse me?"

"The last time I was told that there was a major development with John Doe, they determined that he was a vegetarian. So here is the living room, dining room and kitchen."

"It's huge!"

"You're still saying that after all this time?"

Misty blushed.

"Let me show you the garden." I led Misty out the sliding door to the garden.

"Um...?"

My hair felt dry enough, so I tossed aside the towel.

"Originally I had a helicopter pad on the roof, but I never bothered to get a helicopter. My Gengar loves to garden, so I let him have his way with the place, as long as I have my hot tub and privacy."

"I can see why."

I leaned my naked body against Misty. "I bet that you and Ash have done it at least once on the roof of your gym, or maybe on one of those islands floating in the gym pool. I know you've done it everywhere on Reef Island. Look at that, the most successful porn star of Kanto is blushing."

Misty tried to cover her embarrassment with a sly look and pert reply, "Jealous?"

"Thousands of women are jealous as they watch you take Ash's massive manhood. Maybe I am too. Maybe I'm jealous of the fact that your amateur video out sold my top five productions. Maybe I'm jealous of the fact that you're brave enough to let millions of people watch you have sex.

"This building and the surrounding buildings were love hotels. One night every monitor, in every room was showing one of your sex scenes from Reef Island. I could hear the thoughts of thousands of men and women as the fantasized over you and Ash. I wonder if they would like a video of the old you: the tomboy in the short shorts and suspenders."

"Sabrina!" shouted Misty.

"Relax; if I can change people into dolls, then I should easily change their outfits. You had a yellow top, which would look better if it just barely covered your breasts and gave that teasing appearance that they are going to fall out with one misstep."

"Please stop."

I changed Misty's clothes back to normal.

"You're right, I am jealous. I built an empire on the fantasy of sex so I could pretend that I'm feeling what you get to feel with Ash." I stepped behind the Gardevoir topiary. "Are you two going to film a sequel?"

"We haven't decided."

"You two were very innovative in your adaptation of Pokémon moves as sex acts. Your use of Helping Hand as fisting was rather inspired. I recall that you didn't try the obvious Double Team." I stepped into view as my best copy of Ash's naked form.

"We...we were offered a Ditto to do that."

"But Misty would never do it with anyone other than her Ash."

"Well..."

"What's this I hear? Misty has done it with another? Maybe a Pokémon? Don't be ashamed. It's amazing what they can do." I lengthened my penis to a meter, snaked it up to eye level and waved the tip at Misty. "What do you think?" I stepped closer and carefully unzipped Misty's jacket with my prehensile penis.

"A...Ash."

"Yes, you and Ash could star as Pokémon trainers on their journey. But instead of real Pokémon, we'll use Poké-human hybrids. Think of the fun you'll have trying to catch and train them. Of course, your original costume would be much more appropriate." I redressed Misty in the tank top and shorts. I teased her underboob with my penis tip, as I changed my color to green. "I'm just a sweet little Bulbasaur and this is my first time."

I slither my penis between Misty's soft breasts. "Catch me," I gasped.

Misty used her hands to clench my penis between her breasts.

I faked a struggle as I enjoyed Misty's warmth and softness. I pushed myself against Misty and whispered into her ear, "We don't need Ash. You should be the star." Since vine whips came in pairs, I created a second penis and ran the tip up Misty's bare leg. Misty didn't shy away. I gently worked my way between her legs. She removed her hands from her breasts so she could simultaneously push down her shorts and use her fingers to spread her pussy open.

Once my second vine made it past Misty's lower lips, I felt like I was being sucked inside.

Misty gave me an evil grin as she took my first vine in hand and threatened to suck that into her pussy as well. "There's a reason that Ash and I are so good at pretending to be Pokémon having sex. Gigadrain!"

Misty's pussy greedily slurped in both of my vines.

"Helping Hand!" declared Misty as she stuck four fingers in my own pussy: I had lost control over my form and was now a doubly endowed futanari.

I fought back by thrusting with all my strength as I tried to lift and throw Misty.

"Sabrina!" screamed Misty as I pounded away.

"Misty," I moaned.

More pounding came as Misty shouted again, "Sabrina, wake up!"

I was in bed and my body grew very cold. I carefully opened my eyes and saw that I was snug under the covers and Misty was standing at my bedroom door.

"What are you doing there?" I asked as calmly as I could.

"Gengar let me in," replied Misty. "What are you doing there? I thought that you would be ready to see John Doe."

"I must have fallen asleep." I surveyed the down filled covers and hoped that they didn't betray the location of my hands. "If you don't mind waiting in the living room, I'll just take a quick shower." As soon as Misty walked away, I rushed to the bathroom and had the coldest shower possible to wash away every trace of my wet dream.

When I finally felt clean, I got dressed and went to find Misty as she visited the little ones.

"I see you've met Gastly, Eevee, Poliwag and Spoink. If you look quickly to your right you'll see Ralts before he teleports away."

"No wonder you need such a large apartment."

We took the elevator to the garage.

"I thought that you'd be more excited about John Doe's progress."

Without looking at Misty, I replied, "There have been several false alarms."

"Are you okay?"

"Hospitals and I don't get along. I need to concentrate and prepare myself."

I spent the ride trying not to fantasize about Misty, or remember my dream.

Once at the clinic, I led the way to John Doe's room, where we were met by...

"Dr. Glass?!" exclaimed Misty.

"Shh, this is still a hospital," I scolded. "I too am surprised to see you here doctor."

"Dr. Marcus called me in when his Pokémon based technique failed."

"I wouldn't say that the technique was a failure, rather it generated results too fast for the patient to accept," I countered.

Dr. Glass nodded in agreement. "The progress made is remarkable. When I first examined John Doe he had few motor skills and seemed at the edge of violence. Now he can feed himself and seems content to color."

The doctor cracked open the door to John Doe's room. Misty and I peeked in and saw John sitting upright and coloring pictures with crayons. "He just colors?" I asked.

"He colors, eats occasionally and falls asleep. Some of the pictures that he's discarded are rather interesting. I'd like to take him back to Cerulean City so a child psychologist I know could look at his drawings. I think that John had a traumatic event related to a Pokémon."

Misty had the decency not to say it out loud, but mentally she shouted, "I knew it!"

"Would you care to see them?"

"Oh yes," replied Misty.

"I'll be with you in a moment," I muttered as something was begging for attention.

Once Misty and the doctor left, I carefully entered John Doe's room and peeked into his mind. I couldn't process what I sensed, but it was mostly a vast amount of visual memory, coupled with manual skills and a hint of frustration. I staggered out of the room and off to the conference room that hopefully held Misty and Dr. Glass.

"Sabrina, what happened to you?"

My mind focused enough to notice Dr. Marcus.

"Got ... mental sample. Need ... see sketches."

"You've gone too far..."

"No, trust me..."

Dr. Marcus probably swore a lot as he helped into the conference room.

"Sabrina?!"

"Hush!" scolded Dr. Marcus as he helped me into a chair and then gathered all the colorings into a pile for me.

"Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong..."

"What's wrong?"

"Wrong, wrong, wrong..."

The pictures were being scattered away.

There was a firm hand on my shoulder. "Sabrina, can you tell me what is wrong with this?"

Dr. Marcus had moved away all the pictures except one.

"The texture is wrong. It looks like scales. It's supposed to be fur."

"Thank you Sabrina." Dr. Marcus changed pictures for me and asked, "Sabrina, can you tell me what is wrong with this?"

"The curve is wrong, I can't fix it."

"Thank you Sabrina, we'll find a way to fix it. Can you tell me what is wrong with this one?"

"It's too bright; no shadow."

"Thank you Sabrina, you've done enough. Now, toss out all those other thoughts and come back to us as Sabrina."

After a deep, cleansing breath I remarked, "I had it under control."

Despite the angry glare, Dr. Marcus humored me by saying, "Of course you did. Thank you as well. Dr. Glass was under the impression that John Doe's outbursts and frustrations were with the Pokémon depicted, and not with the quality of the drawing."

"John Doe's drawings are at best at the grade school level. Quality isn't an issue at that level of development," argued Dr. Glass.

With John Doe's thoughts a distant echo in my mind, I looked at the discarded pictures with my own eyes. The page that caught my eye had a solid outline of an Alakazam, but it was scribbled all over in red. I let my hand drift over the image and trace the motions that John must have made.

"I'm sorry Misty, but this isn't incriminating evidence against an Alakazam. John was focused on the end of Alakazam's moustache. See, all the lines go in one direction like hair. If you were scribbling, you'd just run the crayon back and forth."

"But why did he use red?" argued Misty.

"He doesn't see in color, he sees in texture. Those crayons are the problem."

Dr. Glass wanted to argue, but instead said, "Oh."

"I think that he had a higher level of talent, but is frustrated by the material and his own motor skills."

"He reminds me of Tracy, a Pokémon watcher I know," recalled Misty.

"Maybe we should get his opinion on John's abilities before we make any conclusion on the meaning of these sketches."

Misty, being an old friend of Tracy Sketchit, left to make arrangements for Tracy to come over as soon as possible.

After Dr. Glass left the conference room, I teased my doctor, "Did I help settle a bet?"

"If John Doe is who I suspect he is, then I don't him to leave for another hospital," grumped Dr. Marcus. "Also he wouldn't have had crayons five hundred years ago. As for you, what were you thinking?!"

"I was thinking that I once again had to make excuses for the Guardian Pokémon in Cerulean Cave, and prevent the person charged with its security, Misty, from going to the local authorities."

The doctor sighed, "Sometimes I feel so weighed down by secrets."

"I feel nauseous and hungry. I'm going out for lunch."

After I dragged myself out of the clinic to the warptile, I made the teleport to Yoshida's department store and Psychic Noodles.

"Good afternoon, Sabrina Sensei!" cheered my former student.

I sat at the bar. Mr. Mime came over to predict what I wanted to eat, but I waved him off. "My head is a little messed up. Could you prepare what I had the last time?"

"Sensei?"

"I've been helping with a mental patient, and I don't want noodles in stewed apples."

Mr. Mime shrugged it off and made a bowl of curry soup with extra spice and protein.

I finished my soup and was on my second order of gyoza before a familiar voice asked for attention, "Gym Leader Sabrina?"

I looked up from my business reports and saw, "Shaun, the bug trainer. Did you win your battle with Master Kiyo?"

The boy nodded with confidence.

"Well?"

"I challenge you to a gym battle."

Sonny spoke low but deeply, "Young man, I don't appreciate you disturbing my customers."

"Shaun the Spike, the boy who poisons everywhere he goes. It's alright Sonny, I enjoy his confidence. Very well, I accept your challenge."

[Activate teleport beacon. Location: gym]

[Access gym p.a. system: Announce, "Qualified judge to main battlefield."]

I smiled and said, "Let's go."

"N...?" Shaun finished his question in the gym, "Ow?"

"Where's that confidence that you showed when you challenged me at lunch?"

"Sensei?"

"Jean, this will be a three-on-three battle."

Jean bowed and said, "As said by the gym leader, this will be a three-on-three battle with no time limit. Only the challenger will be allowed to substitute Pokémon. Begin!"

"Forretress: go!"

"Haunter."

Haunter floated through the wall.

"Toxic Spikes!"

"Nightshade."

The steel Pokémon staggered back from Haunter's high level attack.

"Mean Look," I ordered a moment before Shaun tried to recall his Pokémon. "Haunter, please continue with the Nightshade."

"Gyro Ball!"

Forretress pressed through Haunter's attack and landed his Gyro Ball.

Haunter staggered back with a little too much melodrama: Haunter fell to the battlefield and clawed at the ground as he struggled to reach his opponent.

I wanted to scold Haunter, but changed my mind. I mentally ordered, "Attack with another Nightshade and fall to my right from the recoil."

Haunter did as he was told, which was rare, but he suspected that I had something sneaky in mind.

"Forretress is unable to battle," announced Jean.

Shaun recalled his fallen Pokémon, steeled his resolve and sent out a Scizor.

"Bullet Punch!"

We countered with, "Pain Split."

The Bullet Punch hit first, but that just put Pain Split more to our advantage.

"Nightshade please," I projected to Haunter. "Then finish him off with a Shadow Punch from the ground."

"?"

Haunter started the Nightshade, so I explained, "Scatter the Toxic Spikes underneath you to his side. Maybe his third Pokémon will step on them."

"Haunt Haunt Haunt," laughed the ghost as he attacked.

Scizor fell.

"Let's see if he keeps his cool," I thought.

Shaun sighed as he recalled his second Pokémon. After a cleansing breath, he let out his final Pokémon: Scyther.

Haunter moped that the Toxic Spike trick was wasted.

"Stay focused and use Pain Split," I ordered.

Scyther was already dodging the attack when Shaun shouted, "Aerial Ace!"

Scyther followed through with a strike to Haunter's back.

"Haunter is unable to continue," announced Jean after Haunter gave a brief over performance of fainting.

I had a two to one advantage of Pokémon, so I decided to continue with my poison gamble. "Alakazam, would you care for a Pokémon battle?"

Alakazam sent back an image of him eating lunch with Golduck.

"What's going on?" asked Shaun.

"The gym leader is summoning her Pokémon," commented Jean.

"Summon?"

"Shh!"

"Bring the bowl," I joked as I teleported my younger Alakazam.

Alakazam casually walked up beside me and looked over the battlefield as he noisily scraped the bowl with his spoon.

"Care to gamble with poison?" I thought as I spied a lone Toxic Spike.

Alakazam psychically placed the empty bowl on the ground as he cleaned off his spoon.

Jean noticed Alakazam's nod and announced, "The gym leader's second Pokémon will be Alakazam."

"Should I flinch?" asked Alakazam as he stepped up to the battlefield.

"No, let's see how good this boy's observation skills are."

"The boy? What about that bug?"

"It's fast, strong and has used Aerial Ace as both defense and offense. I expect at least one strong dark or bug attack. Use Shock Wave."

As Alakazam prepared to attack, Scyther moved quickly behind him. The Shock Wave struck the Aerial Ace and surprised Shaun more than it shocked Scyther. "What was that?" Shaun hesitated for only a moment and changed tactics to, "X-Scissor!"

Alakazam pushed back against the heavier bug with his spoons while pouring on the electricity.

"He's using the X-Scissor as a shield," observed Alakazam.

"Then use your Recover as armor," I mentally countered.

Alakazam changed his grip on his spoons to shield his lower arms while pouring his power into Recover.

At that moment, Shaun had is Pokédex out. "Poisoned!? When did that happen?"

After another X-Scissor crashed into Alakazam's recover, Shaun shouted, "Now!"

I mentally grumbled, "Psychic: Point blank range. I hate surprises."

"I hate Struggle Bug," complained Alakazam as the effectiveness of his attack was lessened by the close range.

My heart beat.

Struggle Bug shouldn't finish off Alakazam, even if Scyther is a Technician.

I could feel Alakazam's attack get weaker as the Struggle Bug continued.

Scyther was too tough of a Pokémon to admit that he is hurt or suffering from poison.

"Switch to Recover!"

My heart beat.

Scyther struck out with a Night Slash.

The only thing to be heard was the clink-clink as Alakazam's spoons broke and their bowls hit the packed clay of the battlefield.

Alakazam mentally noted, "I've used up my Recover and Special Attack levels are too low."

"Scyther?" asked Shaun.

The towering bug was motionless.

"The poison got to him," I declared to the small audience of students.

"Scyther is unable to continue," announced Jean. "The battle goes to Gym Leader Sabrina."

"No, he's still standing," argued Shaun.

"Check your Pokédex."

[Activate teleport beacon: Pokémon Center]

The boy was still in shock after Nurse Joy and Chansey took our Pokémon to be treated.

"Shaun, did you train under Koga?"

The boy nodded, "But I don't have what it takes to be a ninja."

"Whether or not that is true isn't the point. Your Scyther's spirit is wasted on ninjitsu."

"Huh?"

"Scyther had the true spirit of a samurai."

Shaun flinched at the word.

"What's wrong?"

Shaun sighed, "I wanted to prove to my uncle that ninja are better than samurai."

"Psychics are the best, I don't care who comes in second."

The boy looked at me with pain in his eyes.

"I'm teasing. As for Koga, I've had some practice and exhibition matches with him. The ninja arts of deception and surprise don't work well on Pokémon that can read minds and see the future. I knew that you liked to use poison, so I led with Haunter who knows as many dirty tricks as Koga.

"Your Scizor concerns me. Is his only job to mop up the mess that your Forretress makes?"

"Sometimes they battle together as a team."

"Such a shame; there wasn't much of a thrill beating him. But your Scyther...; if the battle was a full six-on-six, I'd probably join in."

The boy giggled.

"Good, your humor's returned."

"I'm sorry, but I was just trying to imagine you battling a Pokémon."

I sensed that Haunter and Alakazam were treated and ready to go so I got up and said to Shaun, "If you pay a visit to Koga, ask him about the personal match I had with his Pokémon. Maybe his pride has recovered enough for him to talk about it."

"Personal match?"

"Like I said, it doesn't matter to me which is better: samurai or ninja; I've trumped them both. Draw your own conclusions." I went in the back to collect my Pokémon and said to them, "I didn't get to finish my gyoza. Let's do lunch."


End file.
